Historical movements that have shaped women’s health
Key factors for women’s health
Strategies to improve women’s health
References
Further reading

Women’s health includes issues that only affect women, such as menstruation and pregnancy, as well as those that affect both sexes. Certain conditions, such as diabetes, affect women differently than men. Women’s health must be a priority because it determines the well-being of our modern world.

Historical movements that have shaped women’s health

At the beginning of the 20th century, the Women’s Health Movement (WHM) began with Margaret Sanger’s fight for women’s right to contraception.¹ Although abortion was illegal in the 1960s unless it was necessary to save the woman’s life, over a million illegal abortions were performed each year.

Many women who had illegal abortions suffered medical complications of varying degrees and some even had to be hospitalized. Medical studies also found that women died from complications caused by illegal abortion. In the 1960s and 1970s, women’s rights activists fought primarily for control of their reproductive rights. Finally, the Supreme Court’s ruling in Roe vs. Wade in 1973 legalized abortion in the United States.¹

In the 1970s, the WHM triggered numerous changes in birth practices. For example, it promoted the freedom of choice of expectant parents, for example by allowing husbands to be present at the birth.² Two childbirth organizations, the International Childbirth Educational Association and Lamaze International, were founded and run by women. The goal of the organizations is to prepare expectant parents for childbirth by providing appropriate health information.²

Read more about the history of women in medicine

Key factors for women’s health

The health of women and girls is particularly worrying due to diverse social discrimination.³ Various psychological, physical, social, environmental and economic factors can affect overall health and well-being. Lack of access to health facilities, gender-based violence and discrimination, illiteracy and poor nutrition significantly affect women’s health.⁴

Studies have shown that women in low-income countries are more likely to be denied essentials such as food, water and healthcare, while women in developing countries are more likely to experience gender-based violence, which can significantly affect their health.⁵

Below are some of the key factors affecting women’s health:

• Social discrimination: Various forms of societal discrimination, such as an exclusive focus on women’s reproductive role, unequal power relations between men and women, social norms that reduce the number of paid employment opportunities, and increased exposure to physical, sexual and emotional violence, negatively impact women’s health. It is estimated that one in three women worldwide will experience physical or sexual violence in her lifetime. This can have a significant impact on their mental and physical health. It has been documented that women in war zones are at higher risk of rape and other forms of violence.⁶
• Economically: While poverty is an important barrier to positive health for both men and women, it places a greater burden on women’s health. For example, in low-income households, women are more likely to cook meals, and the use of unsafe cooking fuels increases their risk of developing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), emphysema, and asthmatic bronchitis..⁷ Poverty also leads to malnutrition, which can seriously affect women’s health. The lack of nutritious food and clean water can lead to a range of health problems, such as anemia and a weakened immune system.
• Healthcare: Access to quality health facilities is critical for women’s health and well-being. Many women in low- and middle-income countries lack access to basic services such as obstetric care, HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment, and family planning. Lack of access to adequate health care contributes to higher maternal mortality and morbidity rates. Lack of access to safe abortion services and comprehensive sexuality education increases the number of unsafe abortions.⁸
• Education: Women with higher levels of education are more likely to have better access to quality health care and are less likely to experience gender-based violence. However, in many countries around the world, educational opportunities are not available to all women, which contributes to poor health outcomes.
• Chronic diseases: Compared to men, women are more likely to have other chronic comorbidities that can mask the symptoms of heart disease. This increases the risk of disease misdiagnosis in women. Women also have a higher risk of lung cancer, which may be related to increased cigarette consumption among women.
• Mental illness: Women are at higher risk of developing depression and dysthymia than men. Undertreated mental illnesses have negative health consequences; they can even be fatal, as depression increases the likelihood of suicide.

Strategies to improve women’s health

Rapidly improving the health and well-being of women worldwide is not easy. This complex task requires a collaborative effort by multiple stakeholders, including civil society, government, the private sector and individual women, to develop a holistic approach that addresses all components that contribute to poor health outcomes.

Currently, many research organizations and global and public health agencies focus on maternal and newborn care through nutrition, education and nursing. These organizations also focus on the causes, treatment and prevention of a wide range of diseases such as heart disease, mental disorders and addictions, breast and ovarian cancer, osteoporosis, gynecological diseases, autoimmune diseases and AIDS that affect women across the lifespan.

The International Council on Women’s Health (ICOWHI) is an international nonprofit association that promotes the health care and well-being of women and girls around the world through women’s and girls’ empowerment, education, advocacy and research.

Gynecological health is an important component of a woman’s health, not only during her reproductive years, but throughout her life.⁹ Many older women mistakenly believe that they no longer need gynecological examinations after menopause. However, older women have a higher risk of developing cancer of the reproductive system and uterine prolapse. Regular gynecological examination reduces the risk of undesirable health consequences.

Numerous research studies have shown that timely and appropriate prenatal care significantly increases the chances of a positive pregnancy outcome. However, the risk of maternal mortality increases due to heart disease, high blood pressure, bleeding, embolisms, domestic violence and infections.

Younger women are biologically more vulnerable to sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) than their male counterparts, particularly due to differences in their cervical anatomy. In particular, increased use of contraceptives has significantly reduced the rates of unwanted or unplanned pregnancies and STDs among younger women.¹⁰

References

1. Nichols FH. History of the women’s health movement in the 20th century. J Obstetrics Gynecology Neonatal Nurs. 2000;29(1):56-64. doi: 10.1111/j.1552-6909.2000.tb02756.x.
2. Lamaze International: P PL ft 21 C. J Perinat Educ. 2002 Winter;11(1):x-xii. doi: 10.1624/105812402X88542.
3. Khan N. Overcoming bias in women’s health. Br J Gen Pract. 2022;72(717):147. doi: 10.3399/bjgp22X718817.
4. Davidson PM, et al. The health of women and girls determines the health and well-being of our modern world: A white paper of the International Council on Women’s Health Issues. Health Care Women Int. 2011 Oct;32(10):870-86. doi: 10.1080/07399332.2011.603872.
5. Ralli M. et al. Health and social inequalities among women in disadvantaged settings: A focus on gynecological and obstetric health and intimate partner violence. Health equity. 2021;5(1):408-413. doi: 10.1089/heq.2020.0133.
6. Tewabe DS et al. Gender-based violence in the context of armed conflict in northern Ethiopia. Confl Health. 2024;18(1):1. doi: 10.1186/s13031-023-00563-4.
7. Chen HC et al. Exposure to cooking oil fumes and chronic bronchitis in nonsmoking women aged 40 years and older: a health-related study. BMC Public Health. 2018;18(1):246. doi: 10.1186/s12889-018-5146-x.
8. Rivera Rodriguez G. et al. The medical and financial burden of illegal abortion. Cureus. 2022;14(10):e30514. doi: 10.7759/cureus.30514.
9. Krause L, Dini L, Prütz F. Reasons for women aged 50 and over to seek gynecological advice and treatment. J Health Monitor. 2020;5(2):3-14. doi: 10.25646/6065.
10. Chandra-Mouli V, Akwara E. Improving adolescent access to and use of contraception: what progress has been made, lessons learned and implications for policy? Best Pract Res Clin Obstetrics Gynecology. 2020;66:107-118. doi: 10.1016/j.bpobgyn.2020.04.003.

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