Millions of women forced to ‘suck it up’ and suffer due to sexist NHS that ‘dismisses symptoms and pain’

THE NHS is sexist and women and girls suffer due to medics’ lack of education about female health, a report by MPs found.

Millions cannot get help for heavy periods or conditions like endometriosis or adenomyosis.

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GP surgeries in particular have a “clear lack of awareness and understanding,” the report said.

Parliament’s Women and Equalities Committee said many have to “suck it up” because their symptoms have been normalised.

It concluded that female patients face stigma, misunderstanding and “medical misogyny” in the health service.

The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists found last month that waiting lists for gynaecology clinics in England have more than doubled since 2020 to 755,000.

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It cannot be right that there is such a lack of awareness despite the prevalence of these conditions

Sarah OwenMP and chair of Parliament's Women and Equalities Committee

The equalities committee said doctors and nurses need more training to help women.

Chair and Labour MP, Sarah Owen, said: “Misogyny in medicine is leaving women in pain and their conditions undiagnosed.

“Women are finding their symptoms dismissed, are waiting years for life changing treatment and in too many cases are being put through trauma-inducing procedures.

“Up to one in three women live with heavy menstrual bleeding, one in ten have a condition such as endometriosis or adenomyosis. 

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“It cannot be right that such a lack of understanding and awareness persists despite the prevalence of these conditions.

“This report must act as a wake-up call and the NHS must urgently implement a training programme.”

Girls must be taught about periods at school

The report called for greater efforts to shorten diagnosis times and waiting lists, update medical training and encourage doctors to specialise in women’s health.

MPs also found that girls do not learn enough about periods and reproductive health at school and education should be improved.

Dame Lesley Regan was appointed Women’s Health Ambassador to the government in 2022, when an official Women’s Health Strategy was published.

An NHS England spokesperson said: “We are taking action to improve services for women, including rolling out women's health hubs across the country.

“They are giving thousands more women access to specialist support in the community and helping to upskill healthcare professionals with a full range of staff working in one place.

“The NHS is also developing a network of women's health champions made up of senior leaders in every local care system to drive forward improvements in women's health.”