Wellbeing of Women reposted this
General Practitioner | Honorary Senior Clinical Lecturer | Host | Speaker | Educator | Health Content Creator | Ambassador | Vice Chair & Creative Director - Black Female Doctors UK | UN Women UK delegate
The state of women’s and gynae health is dire. Today’s report highlighting medical misogyny is the tip of the iceberg. There is so much that needs to change. Women and AFAB individuals are struggling, desperate and prone to exploitation. We need better healthcare provision, better health education all round (without censorship!); more research and funding into women’s and gynaecological health. It’s all nuanced, I know. Many trained healthcare professionals joined social media to ensure that there is accurate, evidenced based and scientific health information out there - so that we can tackle the plethora of misinformation and disinformation; to empower women with knowledge to seek help and get the support they need and deserve. Remember that nothing is ever one size fits all and just because something helps one person, it doesn’t mean that it will help everyone. Again, we need more research, more funding, more prioritisation! #womenshealth #healthawareness #healtheducation
Dr. Aziza Sesay I couldn't agree more that we need more research - and research into nutrition, complementary therapies and lifestyle changes as well as existing and new medicines. Many women want self care and drug-free options to try instead of or alongside medical support - and without the evidence base they are in a difficult situation. With medical misogyny adding to the potential that women's voices and experiences are not counted as evidence of unmet needs and issues - it can be a very hard road to get research funded and results published that shed light on all the questions so many women have. Just because something has not been researched yet doesn't mean it is automatically unhelpful - but we need the clarity! And then if more medical professionals felt able to recommend evidence-backed lifestyle and nutritional approaches (for example), fewer women would feel the need to seek those kinds of answers elsewhere and sometimes pay a lot for it. Thanks to you and other great communicators in the healthcare professional space. And thanks to the health charities out there providing evidence-based information and support for so many women!
That's why we need more people like you to counteract the rubbish out there
Thank you for highlighting the report and we agree we do need more funding for research, better education and high quality evidence based health information and we love the information you provide and the awareness raising you do daily!
You are a national treasure Aziza!
And more self care!
THANK YOU!! Well said!
You are right! But how do you fight misinformation and compete with influencers when those who are providing the misinformation are not held to any professional standard and they can get away with saying anything? This is one big part of the problem. However I often hear from those who are suffering that they search for these “miracle cures” because no one is listening or no one understands. This is especially hard because there isn’t enough education around women’s health and taking care of women’s health requires MDT approach and not solely relying on GPs. Even if women could self-refer to see a gynaecologist that in itself could be a game-changer. So much work to be done in the area of women’s health.
I totally agree. I'm saddened at the number of magical cures for fibroids. Then there are the groups with thousands of desperate women all wanting a quick fix. No matter how good the herb or supplement, its not going to fix a problem that developed over many years. The underlying causes are multifactorial. When I work with clients, I take a whole-person approach. I'm looking for the cause of the cause of the cause. Finding out what CAUSES fibroids and heavy bleeding for example, requires a deep understanding of the human body and how all systems are interconnected. Its time consuming and required days if not weeks of researching, and putting it together. Its super complex and doctors just would not have the time to go into such detail. This is where holistic science can help fill the gap. Its not about medical or complimentary medicine. Often its doing both that can really make the difference. Personally, I’ve had two surgeries but the surgery didn’t stop the heavy periods so I had no choice but to find another way. To this very day, I am so grateful I had the surgery. Unfortunately, the health and well-being industry image has been tarnished by influencers peddling products.
This is a great post. I always tell women that I work with to follow the medical professionals who I know are there to make change and provide the correct information. This is why research is so important.
In my recent speech at Homerton College I highlighted the growing desperation among women in pain, particularly in the fibroid community, who feel forced to throw money at unproven treatments due to long waits for care. I’ve seen influencers selling courses costing thousands, claiming to shrink fibroids—something that preys on vulnerable patients. I believe it’s crucial to distinguish between genuine advocates/campaigners like myself and my fellow ladies on the Gram, who aim to empower and educate, and those offering unverified solutions. Collaboration between advocates and medical professionals is vital to bridge the gap and ensure patients get accurate information and support (something which I actively do). Together, we can make a real difference.