HEALTH + WELLNESS
Spotlight: Women’ s Health cont...
these clinics will be a game-changer for women who are tired of being bounced between appointments.
Racial Inequality Here’ s the hard truth: in the UK, black women are nearly three times more likely to die during or soon after pregnancy than white women. Women in deprived areas face worse outcomes for almost every health measure, and those with disabilities, migrant women and women in the criminal justice system also experience higher barriers to care.
Tackling these disparities isn’ t just a moral imperative- it’ s a test of whether the Women’ s Health Strategy is more than words on paper. It will require deep, sustained investment in communities, cultural competence in services and a willingness to listen to women’ s lived experiences. While this will be tough, it shouldn’ t be an insurmountable issue, but is one that needs to be spoken about, without shame or embarrassment, widely and regularly in order to make change happen.
Work and Wellbeing Women make up nearly half of the UK workforce, but health challenges- from period pain to perimenopause- can absolutely be serious enough to derail careers, with many women choosing to leave work altogether when support isn’ t there.
Forward-thinking employers are waking up to the reality that small changes, such as flexible working, access to healthcare advice and a culture where women can talk openly without fear of embarrassment, can keep experienced talent in the workplace. Small but essential changes like this aren’ t just good for women, they’ re good for business.
Technology and Privacy From period-tracking apps to fertility wearables,‘ FemTech’( technology products, services and apps specifically designed to address women’ s health and wellness needs) is booming, but with that boom comes raised concerns about privacy.
A recent Mozilla Foundation survey of 1,000 UK women who use FemTech found that 82 % were unclear about how reproductive health apps use their data and over 60 % did not trust these apps to protect their right to privacy, while 44 % had actually deleted an app due to the same concerns. Evidently, this is an emerging challenge that policymakers and tech companies will need to confront together because innovation without trust equals no progress at all.
Despite the ambition of the Women’ s Health Strategy, the UK’ s ranking in global women’ s health has dropped for the fourth year in a row, now sitting in 41st place out of 142 countries, which is a sobering reminder that strategies only matter if they translate into action, and that action translates into outcomes.
The plus side? There’ s reason to be optimistic. The issues are on the table. The data is out in the open. And, most importantly, women are speaking up, sharing their stories and demanding better. If there’ s one lesson from the past few years, it’ s that change in women’ s health doesn’ t happen quietly, it happens when conversations get loud enough that no one can pretend not to hear.
TOP FIVE WOMEN’ S HEALTH CHECKS TO BOOK
Looking after yourself is the ultimate power move, so get these essential checks booked in.
Smear Test: If you’ re between 25 and 64, you should be having regular cervical screening; every three years if you’ re under 50 and every five years if you’ re older. It’ s quick, free and can detect changes before they become cancer.
Breast Screening: Women aged 50 to 71 are invited for NHS breast screening every three years, but you can( and should) check your breasts regularly at home from your 20s onwards. Know your normal so you can spot any changes early.
Blood Pressure & Cholesterol Checks: Heart disease is still the biggest killer of women in the UK, and it doesn’ t always announce itself with dramatic chest pain. A quick blood pressure and cholesterol check at your GP or pharmacy could be a lifesaver.
Bone Density Scan: Osteoporosis isn’ t just an‘ old age’ problem- the groundwork for healthy bones starts young. If you’ re postmenopausal, have a family history, or certain conditions like coeliac disease, ask your doctor if a DEXA scan is right for you.
STI Screening: Sexual health is part of overall health and regular screening is smart, whatever your age. Many local sexual health clinics offer free, confidential testing.
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