Improving menstrual health must be at the heart of the Women’s Health Strategy
Girls and young women continue to be unsupported and unheard when it comes to their menstrual health, a new Government report has concluded.
The House of Commons Women and Equalities Committee (WEC) said girls’ pain was being dismissed, diagnosis was being missed, and education was severely lacking.
As the UK prepares for the renewal of the Women’s Health Strategy for England later this spring, the committee’s new report delivers a clear and urgent message: menstrual health is still not being prioritised.
Published ahead of International Women’s Day, the report, which you can read in full here, highlights significant gaps in education, healthcare access, practitioner training, and digital communication.
A system failing girls from the start
One of the most striking findings is the insufficient emphasis on early menstrual education. Although updates to the relationships, sex, and health education (RSHE) curriculum now require schools to teach menstrual and gynaecological health, implementation plans are still lacking.
The committee also raises concerns about the erosion of the school nurse system. Many schools have minimal or no access to a nurse, who is the first responder for girls experiencing menstrual issues. This is a huge missed opportunity for access and approachability in such a delicate subject for many young women.
Other issues raised were:
Pain dismissed and conditions missed: Girls and young women continue to report that their symptoms are dismissed or minimised. They’re told they are “too young” to experience conditions like endometriosis or are prescribed hormonal medication without proper investigation.
Women’s health hubs under threat: Women’s health hubs have demonstrated significant success in reducing waiting times and improving access to care. Yet many are now at risk due to insufficient funding.
Addressing inequality and bias: The report calls for action to tackle racial discrimination and improve support for disabled and Deaf young women.
Digital spaces: The Government’s current communication efforts on menstrual health via digital channels fall short. Young women often encounter inaccurate or harmful content online.
A critical moment for change
The Women and Equalities Committee warns that unless the upcoming strategy includes firm commitments – including timelines, funding and workforce investment – the opportunity for transformation may be lost.
Chair of the Women and Equalities Committee and Labour MP Sarah Owen said: “The Government’s response to the Committee’s 2024 ‘medical misogyny’ report was deeply disappointing, and as our new report sets out, the committee is not convinced that the menstrual and gynaecological needs of young women and girls have been sufficiently prioritised in wider reforms to the healthcare system.
“It is a national scandal that nearly half a million women are on hospital gynaecology waiting lists when there are effective treatments that could be administered in primary and community care, if only they could access them. Initiatives which have proven to be successful in reducing waiting lists and improving women’s access to healthcare, such as women’s health hubs, risk being scaled back or discontinued as part of wider reforms. This would be a disaster for girls’ and women’s menstrual healthcare, when it is in dire need of more support.
“Our inquiry has shown that too many girls and young women are still being let down by a system that fails them at every stage, from the lack of access to a school nurse to dismissal in primary care, and they continue to face unnecessarily painful procedures in the diagnosis of relatively common conditions.
“The imminent renewal of the Women’s Health Strategy for England presents an opportunity for tangible change for girls and women. A strategy which does not address the concerns set out in this report will be inadequate.”
My thoughts
This report highlights that more than ever the current system is not built with women and girls in mind. But it also offers a roadmap for change – one that could dramatically improve wellbeing for millions if acted upon.
The Women’s Health Strategy needs the necessary funding to make progress and do so quickly. The results will speak for themselves, because by supporting millions of women, the results will be felt all over society.
We can only hope to see what is in store for the renewal of the Women’s Health Strategy later in the spring.
