Women comprise over 50% of the world’s population, and we live an average of 5 years longer than men. But, we spend 25% more of our lives in poor health or disabled, and only 7% of healthcare research is devoted to conditions only we suffer from. Feel free to throw that in the face of any man who complains he’s discriminated against.
It’s even worse for women of color. I recommend visiting Dr. Buchanan’s website for more information. She’s a physician, and she had to advocate for the healthcare she knew she needed!
Why have we made so little progress in women’s health? Clinical trials can take a long time, and before 1993, women were rarely included. It’s only been 32 years, and a trial can last 10 years or more.
What does it mean for you, your daughter, and your granddaughters? We have twice the risk of adverse medication reactions. There is a higher risk of hip replacement failure, and we may not receive life-saving treatment for heart disease.
And what effect do you think the new administration’s policies will have on any progress we’ve made? We’ll go backward as women need to be included in studies. Our history illustrates the potential consequences of these policies.
What can we do? We need to advocate for our health and not in a “nice” way. The men in charge don’t respond to nice.
They respond to power and consequences. We make up over 50% of the population, so if we support each other, we have the upper hand. The women of South Korea have proven this recently.
If we want a better future for ourselves, our daughters, and granddaughters, we need to unite. Don’t vote for that conservative who tells you they don’t care if you die due to their policy choices. Be loud and proud on social media with posts about the poor state of women’s healthcare.
Choose to see a female doctor if you can. I switched years ago to female ARNPs and MDs, and my healthcare improved markedly. We should strongly advocate for better care for ourselves and complain loudly about any backsliding.
We have the power. Don’t be afraid to be assertive. Doing nothing is going to kill us, literally.
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