Statistics: medical studies ignore the health of women after childbearing age

A new study finds that medical research on gynecology neglects those who reach or exceed menopause.

According to a study by Tel Aviv University sociologist Neta Avnon, less than 4 percent of global scientific research publications in obstetrics and gynecology are devoted to menopause and beyond.

Avnon said this shows medical research is “neglecting” women’s health beyond their childbearing years.

She noted that while menopause is a major event at some point in the life of half the world’s population, it has been overlooked in research. And the new Israeli study suggests that this means older women are not benefiting from medical advances as much as they should.

In his interview with the newspaperTimes of Israel“It’s time for a change,” Avnon said, “Nearly a quarter of the world’s population is now in or after menopause. It’s a shame that gynecologists have so little research devoted to this population.”

In his research published in the journalNature Reviews UralologyIn September, Avnon Medical conducted a survey of journals that publish peer-reviewed studies on obstetrics and gynecology and found that out of 83 studies, only three — an average of just 4 percent — addressed women’s health before and after. childbearing age, including menopause. .

Avnon believes the problem is broader than neglecting menopause.

She said scientists are eager to research topics related to reproduction and childbirth at the expense of other women’s health.

She added: “Women can suffer from many medical problems that have absolutely nothing to do with their reproductive functions, such as nerve and muscle problems, problems related to their digestive system near their genitals, unlike men, and many other pains and sicknesses.”

She believes that “the time has come for a woman-centred gynecology”, which means an approach that takes a broader view of women’s health, particularly with regards to female sexuality, menopause and health disorders affecting the organs reproductive.

“To bring about real change, clinicians must be trained to make women’s rights, health and sexuality the primary focus of women’s medicine,” she said.