Dto sex to relationships, from mental well-being to career: gender health inequalities, that is, the way in which women’s health is considered and protected, have profound consequences on every aspect of women’s lives. He explains it Sarah Grahamjournalist and author of the book Rebel Bodie. A guide to the gender health gap revolution who produced the report A World Without the Gender Health Gapin collaboration with the intimate wellness brand Intimate. A study designed to “take note of the necessary change and act concretely to put it into practice”.
Women’s health and gender gap, a revolution is needed
The health gender gap is a complex issue, generated by various factors. On the one hand, knowledge about the female body is poorer, and less is known about pathologies that predominantly affect women. But above all, when we talk more generally about health problems and treatments, research on sex and gender differences is limited. Plus they persist sexist attitudes towards women and their bodies.
See the entry gynecological health: still too often women are told that the debilitating pain of menstruation, postpartum incontinence, and significant mood changes during periods or menopause they are “normal” and predictable. Pain and discomfort are minimized, ignored or judged to be untrue. When they don’t become the object of irony.
Yet, if the gender health gap were eliminated, that is, if women’s health were finally protected in all its diversity, there would be many changes, in many sectors. And useful to everyone.
The consequences of the gender health gap on the economy
The Intimina report highlights, for example, that women would no longer lose 31 million working days per year due to menopause and PMS (14 million working days and 17 million working days, respectively, in the UK). Women would be more productive in the workplace, take fewer sick days, and they would have better chances of career advancement.
Business owners would keep women in their employ longer, instead of seeing nearly as many women drop out of the workforce. 1 million of themdue to untreated menopausal symptoms.
Better female health, higher incomes
The consequences of pregnancies are also important. Mothers experience a 60% drop in income over the decade following the birth of their first child (an effect known as the “motherhood penalty”).
In April 2023, the British Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) published the results of an analytical experiment. It was found that better health would increase women’s earnings by double that of men. A 10% improvement in women’s health could increase this
the average income of 2%. This would not completely eliminate the gender pay gap, but it would certainly help reduce it.
The effects on therapies and mental well-being
According to Intimina’s report, if women’s reproductive health issues were considered as serious as those of men, the diagnosis times for pathologies such as endometriosis would be significantly reduced. Debilitating symptoms would rightly be considered abnormal and addressed with the necessary urgency.
Tests would begin after just 1 appointment with your GP, rather than 10 or more. This way women would no longer have to spend an average of 8 years suffering while waiting for a diagnosis. In fact, if we consider that 1.5 million women affected by endometriosis have to wait an average of 8 years before receiving a diagnosis, overall we are talking about something like 12 million years wasted searching for an answer. Early diagnosis and more effective treatments would help reduce the heavy toll, in terms of mental well-being, of menstrual and reproductive health problems, reducing the increase in depression, anxiety and feelings of isolation.
Vaginismus, vulvodynia, orgasm: the consequences of the gender gap on sex
Bridging the Orgasm-related gender gap It would be easy if female sexual dysfunctions were treated like male ones. If, that is, vulvar and vaginal pain, vaginal dryness, and women’s problems with libido or orgasm were taken as seriously as erectile dysfunction or premature ejaculation. Vaginismus, vulvodynia, vaginal atrophy, anorgasmia are widespread and often ignored problems: they affect 41% of women of reproductive age. MWomen with sexual difficulties are too often told to “relax” or “drink a glass of wine.”
There are treatment options (such as pelvic physiotherapy or psychosexual therapy) but they are not readily available on the NHS. If they could address and resolve these disorders, women would feel encouraged to explore their bodies, thus making sex more fulfilling for each person.
Contraception, all the burden on women
In heterosexual relationships, the burden of contraception is, disproportionately, placed on the shoulders of women. But the side effects of hormonal contraceptives such as the pill (felt by 87% of women) are, for some and with some contraceptives, far from negligible: they can include depression, anxiety and changes in libido and also have consequences on the relationship.
But premenstrual syndrome (PMS) and premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) can also have deleterious consequences on relationships, according to research. If the gender health gap were closed, there would also be fewer relationship crises, since reproductive health would not represent an obstacle to healthy relationships.
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