In the UK where 84% of women don't feel listened to by healthcare professionals, more than half of UK women feel their pain is ignored or dismissed and only 8% feel they have enough information on gynaecological conditions, we’re seeing a pervasive gender pain gap. And women are disproportionately affected.

We recently hosted a breakfast panel event opening up the conversation on women’s gynae health. Welcoming our members to our Mayfair townhouse, we heard the health journeys from a dynamic panel; Valentina Milanova, Forbes 30 under 30 and Founder and CEO of Daye; Dr Hazel Wallace AKA The Food Medic and Carla Cressy, Founder and CEO of The Endometriosis Foundation.

To bring gynae health out of the shadows, we’re shining a light on why women’s health problems often go undetected and take years to diagnose, and sharing actionable ways we can tear down the taboos together when it comes to reproductive health.

Gynae health issues are more common than you’d think

Valentina grew up with her own gynaecological health problems, including starting her first painful period when she was 9, being misdiagnosed with an ectopic pregnancy as a virgin and eventually being diagnosed with ovarian cysts and polycystic ovarian syndrome. Carla suffered stage 4 endometriosis which spread to her bowel, bladder and digestive system over the ten years it took for her to receive a diagnosis.

“Initially I thought that my experiences with long diagnosis time and disregard for my pain were unusual, but I later realised that this was in fact the universal experience shared by the majority of gynaecological health patients,” Valentina said.

With over half the population identifying as women, reproductive health issues are quite prevalent – even though awareness, scientific research and funding are woefully behind.

And the statistics paint a grim picture. “Endometriosis supposedly affects 1 in 10, and yet it takes 7-9 years from the onset of symptoms to a diagnosis of the condition,” Carla said. “The only definitive way to diagnose it is by laparoscopy and biopsy, which is invasive. If more people could investigate their symptoms quicker, I suspect there will be a huge rise in numbers of those affected,”.

The lack of funding for research into women’s health issues is “the biggest factor to explain why diagnosis of women's gynae health issues take so long. Only 2.5% of UK health funding goes towards women’s reproductive health.” – Dr Hazel Wallace.

Worse still, the UK was found to have the largest gender health gap amongst G20 countries and the 12th largest globally.

And yet astonishingly, the UK is the leading funder of gynaecological health in Europe. Germany spends only 0.7% of their entire public funding budget on the whole of gynaecological health.

Valentina Milanova, Founder & CEO of Daye

Why is research and funding for women’s health so disproportionately deficient?

Daye Founder, Valentina, broke it down into three main reasons: historical gender bias, lack of awareness and complexity and diversity of health conditions and women affected.

“Historically, gynae health concerns have been often overlooked or considered less important in medical research. This bias has persisted, leading to the underrepresentation of women in clinical trials and limited research on conditions specific to women. “Policymakers may not fully appreciate the extent of gender disparities in healthcare and research. This is partially due to the fact that it is still mostly cis-men who are involved in public health and the allocation of funding for gynaecological health research. This lack of awareness can lead to insufficient funding allocation. “Finally, women's health encompasses a wide range of issues, from reproductive health to menopause and conditions like endometriosis and PCOS. These complexities can be intimidating to researchers and may require specialised expertise.”

So what can we do about it?

1. Raise awareness to help educate the public, policymakers and funders about the importance of gynae health research and the existing disparities.

2. Encourage researchers to include diverse populations in their studies and ensure that women's health concerns are adequately addressed in research proposals. The UK is taking a positive step in this direction with the Women's Health Ambassador position, currently held by Dame Lesley Reagan. 

3. Governments, private organisations and foundations should allocate more funding specifically for menstrual, vaginal and hormonal health research, through policy changes and targeted grant programs.

Let’s talk about the taboos

Low awareness means little attention, so it’s time to speak up about the stigmas around women’s health. We all have a part to play, and the experts have some advice as to how.

The biggest misconceptions and stigmas surrounding gynae health often revolve around shame, silence, lack of awareness and misinformation. “We must prioritise comprehensive education and encourage open dialogue within communities and foster a culture where seeking medical help for gynae concern is seen as responsible and empowered rather than something to be ashamed of.” – Carla Cressy

“The best thing we can do to break down the stigma around women's health is to start the conversation to help yourself and others around you. We need early detection of endometriosis and PCOS, and talking about it is the first step.” – Dr Hazel Wallace

“We should also normalise healthcare visits and provide more funding so that women don't have to wait long to access specialised gynaecological care. Healthcare providers, private and public, should encourage women and AFAB individuals to seek regular healthcare check-ups and screening.” Valentina Milanova

Daye is leading the charge to provide accessible period pain relief and vaginal health products

“I started Daye to help create a more positive gynaecological health experience for women and AFAB folks globally. I was inspired by some of my personal gynaecological health problems,” Valentina said.

In line with their mission to raise the standards in gynae health, Daye are pioneering game-changing femtech products like soothing CBD coated tampons for localised relief for cramps.

Developed with NHS GPs and gynae experts, Daye’s Period Pain Clinic is the world’s first virtual service to help women and individuals experiencing painful periods with expedited diagnoses for conditions like endometriosis and PCOS and provide treatment plans.

And that’s not all – Daye is the home of the Diagnostic Tampon, the world’s first tampon device that screens vaginal microbiome to help you better understand your vaginal and reproductive health. This unique and innovative, at-home solution will soon be expanded to include screenings for common STIs and HPV (human papillomavirus), allowing you to test at home in lieu of an invasive Pap smear test, in order to detect the virus associated with cervical cancer. No invitation from the GP needed.

“I wanted to create a circular business, when people choose Daye, they’re also helping fund our research and bridge the gender pain gap in health care” – Valentina Milanova

It’s a new Daye in gynae health.

Learn more about Daye’s mission to raise the standards in reproductive healthcare.