One question that those working in the women’s healthcare industry are often asked is why a separate field for women’s healthcare is necessary. Many seem to feel that the entire concept is far too niche and that there doesn’t need to be a separate field for our unique health concerns. Recently, however, these conversations have been happening less often as investors have begun to realize the importance of this field of medicine. From 2020 to 2021 alone, US Digital Health Startups focusing on women’s health saw investment dollars double from $700 million to $1.4 billion over 23 deals. This is due, in part, to a growing understanding of what women’s healthcare is and its importance.
What Is Women’s Healthcare?
It may surprise you that there isn’t an accepted definition of women’s healthcare. Broadly speaking, one could define it as “that branch of medical science focusing on the treatment and diagnosis of health concerns impacting the emotional and physical well-being of women.” However, this only scratches the surface of what this field of medicine covers. Women are the major consumers of healthcare services in the United States and are 76% more likely to have visited a doctor than our male counterparts in a given year.
Even when we aren’t personally consuming healthcare services, we are responsible for 80% of the decisions regarding healthcare services for our families. This includes appointments for our family members and picking up prescriptions from the drugstore. In most families, we fill the role of Chief Medical Officer. With all this being said, we return to the question of what women’s healthcare is. Is women’s healthcare caring for health needs related to our gender identity as a woman? Or the biological and physiological characteristics typical of those classified as female?
Viewing Women’s Healthcare By Gender And Sex
One major struggle facing women’s health has been a myopic focus on reproductive and gynecological health. Most women experience reproductive health concerns that most men do not, such as menopause, pregnancy, and menstruation. However, this cannot serve the entire scope of women’s health. Women are also more likely to become disabled through the course of their lives, develop heart disease 20% more often, become obese more frequently, and are more likely to die within 5 years of their first heart attack. Clearly, reproductive health isn’t the only thing women have to worry about.
Learn More About Women’s Healthcare From Your Provider
If you’re eager to discover more about the state of women’s health care today and what the future holds, reach out to your provider today. They’ll keep you updated on the latest information and how it may affect your care moving forward. With the latest changes in how women’s health care is perceived, the future is mostly looking positive. There are still challenges ahead, but together we’ll be able to work for positive change and bring about a future where all the needs of all kinds of women are met with respect and care.
