A Health Tech Alliance survey reveals a significant lack of awareness of the government’s plan to tackle medical misogyny.
A survey shows that more than 60% of the UK population hasn’t heard of the government’s strategy to improve women’s health. The data, from the Health Tech Alliance (HTA), also reveals that half of UK women feel their concerns were not taken seriously because of their gender.
Some 2,000 adults took part in the nationally representative survey, which outlines the lack of awareness of the government’s efforts to tackle medical misogyny, with 63% never having heard of it.
Medical misogyny refers to the well-documented trend of women being misdiagnosed or having their health concerns dismissed or downplayed.
The survey comes after the government’s strategy was updated last month, with new pledges such as offering pain relief for invasive procedures, such as fitting a contraceptive coil. The Department of Health and Social Care says action will also be taken to reduce the amount of time women wait for a diagnosis of endometriosis and other conditions.
The survey also revealed that younger women are turning away from traditional healthcare as they don’t feel listened to.
Social media influencers
Some 64% of women aged between 18 and 24 report being dismissed by a healthcare professional, with a quarter turning to social media influencers for information and family and friends also being used as a source. While many members of the public aren’t aware of the government’s efforts to improve care for women, they do think it should be a priority, with more than half (51%) believing it has been historically underfunded.
Top priorities for the government emerged as women’s cancer, menopause and gynaecological conditions.
In comparison, only 5% listed femtech innovation, technology which addresses women’s health needs, as a priority.
The HTA argues the public is not yet aware of the role technological innovations can play in improving care for women.
The alliance works with doctors, MPs and officials to advocate for the responsible adoption of new technology in the sector.
Reacting to the survey, Louise Kitchingham, HTA secretariat and executive vice president of policy communications at Clarity, which runs the HTA, said: “The data is clear: the intention is there, but the execution and communication are lagging. When more than 63% of young women feel dismissed by the healthcare system, and the vast majority of the public doesn’t know about the very strategy that has been developed to help them – there is a clear disconnect.”
