Women's health is decades behind men's health in research and socially. Here are a few central statistics representing the state of women's health.
Women are diagnosed an average of four years later than men.
Women are diagnosed later than men for over 700 diseases. resulting in many years of pain and complications that could have been prevented or minimized.
About 69%
of all diseases are more common or costlier in women.
Women are less likely to be correctly diagnosed with diseases than men.
Endometriosis is only correctly diagnosed 40% of the time, while erectile dysfunction is correctly diagnosed 70% of the time. Women are also more often underdiagnosed in heart disease than men.
Only 6% of the $2.9 trillion spent on healthcare is spent on women.
90% of the 6% spent on women is only directed towards three sectors: women’s cancers, reproductive health, and maternal health. Conditions that primarily affect women are often underfunded and neglected.
Only 5%
of medical studies provide data where men and women are looked at separately.
Without studying the data of each sex in isolation, in addition to together, women-specific responses and effects are often hidden. The resulting treatments or medicines are less suitable for women and often only reflect male biology.
Women spend 25%
more of their life in poor health or disability than men.
As a result, more than 75 million years of life are lost as well as economic losses when women can’t work.
Improving women’s health can boost the world economy by
$1 trillion.
Healthier women and people are more productive and can participate in the economy more.
Of medical students,
20% did not receive training on menopause during residency.
Women are more likely to face psychological issues in the workplace.
Women often are placed in shift work, highly emotionally demanding work, workplaces susceptible to violence and harassment, insecure employment, and low decision authority.
In 2024, rates of insufficient prenatal care reached 16%, mostly affecting Black and Native American populations.
Twice as many
women experience depression, anxiety, and PTSD in their lifetime as men.
Biological, social, and economic differences factor into the prevalence of anxiety and depression in women. Women are more likely to develop serious symptoms of PTSD.
Of private healthcare investment,
less than 2%
is for debilitating women-specific conditions like endometriosis, PMOS, or menopause.
These conditions affect millions worldwide
About 20% of women will experience rape or attempted rape sometime in their lifetime.