While women’s health issues such as reproductive rights, gender-based violence and mental health among modern women seem to be front and centre these days, it wasn’t always the case. It’s only in the last century that healthcare practitioners have realised women’s specific challenges and needs regarding their health. So, how far have we come? In light of Women’s Month, here are six critical areas of women’s health that have seen a positive evolution over the past few decades:
1. Health has become more holistic.
A 2024 study by consumer research firm GWI found that women are more interested in looking at health holistically to improve their overall wellbeing, and are using a broader range of health modalities including vitamins, natural medicines and alternative treatments. The study found that the number of women in the US who use natural medicines to treat minor ailments is up by 18% since the end of 2020. As part of this holistic view, the importance of gut health has taken centre stage, particularly among women. One study found a positive correlation between polycystic ovary syndrome and a gut-deficient microbiome, while another found a link between healthy female hormone levels and a healthy gut.
2. More importance is given to mental health.
There’s a growing awareness that overall health isn’t just about physical health – it’s strongly impacted by mental wellness too. A South African study published this year found that women’s mental health, which was already a vulnerability during the Covid-19 pandemic, has been exacerbated due to the effects of social isolation and a restriction on regular activities. Thankfully, there’s been significant progress made in recognising and treating mental health issues such as postpartum depression and anxiety that affect women specifically, with the stigma surrounding these issues reducing, too.
3. Reproductive rights have progressed.
The world has made strides in women’s reproductive health through improved access to contraception: according to the World Health Organization, 77.5% of women in 2022 were using modern contraception, which is a 10% increase since 1990. There have also been advances in preventing, diagnosing and treating sexually transmitted diseases including HIV/AIDS, which have been crucial in promoting women’s sexual health and wellbeing. But while things like safe abortion services and comprehensive sexual education are now more widely available, there are still many communities in developing countries and rural areas who don’t have access to them, so this remains a challenge and focus for the years to come.
4. Women’s diseases are being treated earlier.
Thanks to improved medical treatment and technology plus more widespread use of screening programmes such as mammograms, pap smears and HPV testing, women’s diseases are now being detected earlier. For cancers that affect women primarily, such as breast, ovarian and cervical cancer, these screening protocols make for better treatment outcomes. For South African women who belong to a medical aid, these screenings are often offered and paid for by the medical scheme itself. Fedhealth’s screening benefit, for example, covers mammograms and pap smears as part of its built-in benefits. For other diseases, such as HIV, women are now living longer lives due to more effective treatment options.
5. Maternal health is essential.
While overall maternal health protocols and infant and maternal mortality are far lower than a century ago, they’re far from eradicated. According to a study by McKinsey, more than 800 women still die globally every day from pregnancy and childbirth-related causes. These deaths are not only confined to poorer countries: between 2002 and 2018, the maternal mortality rate doubled in the US. The UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) include a target of reducing the global maternity mortality rate to less than 70 per 100 000 births, with no country having a maternal mortality rate of more than twice the global average. The WHO, meanwhile, is committed to improving maternal health through initiatives such as strengthening health systems and improving the quality of care provided.
6. Increased attention on gender-based violence.
Particularly in South Africa, there’s been an emphasis in recent years on recognising gender-based violence (GBV) as a critical public health issue. But addressing GBV is complex: South Africa’s National Strategic Plan on Gender-Based Violence and Femicide (GBVF) takes a multi-faceted approach that includes accountability and leadership, research, economic power, safety and protection, as well as response, support and healing. South Africa is also a signatory to several international treaties on GBV, and has strong laws in place against perpetrators.
From improved reproductive rights to better mental health support, early disease detection and a heightened focus on gender-based violence, the progress made in women’s health has meant better health and quality of life for women all over the world. There’s still work to be done, however, to make sure that this progress benefits women equally across the globe.
