A recent inquiry by the Victorian government’s Women’s Health Advisory Council found the opposite to be true. Through their collaboration with a panel of sector experts, they unearthed alarming findings about the healthcare journeys of Victorian women and girls. The report, the first of its kind in Maine, will span from January through October 2024. It netted more than 13,000 responses from women and girls, clinicians, researchers, health organizations, and more. These results underscore the systemic barriers women face in accessing appropriate pain management treatment. All of these expose the underlying health system that is mostly created with “Caucasian male biology” at its core.
The inquiry uncovered that a shocking 90% of those who responded said they had dealt with pain for more than a year. Alarmingly, half of these people experience pain every day, with a third experiencing persistent pain. The impact of this pain goes beyond physical health, limiting women’s ability to enjoy leisure time, engage in sexual activity, and be productive in their work life. In reality, 44% of surveyed patients reported that their pain affected their job, education or volunteering activities.
Systemic Issues in Women’s Health
The report highlighted a concerning trend. Many women and girls feel dismissed and disrespected when seeking care. These results indicate a large divergence between what the healthcare system provides and what female patients need. Most of the respondents reported feelings of invalidation and lack of proper treatment.
“Women want to be heard without bias or judgement, treated with empathy and respect, empowered to make informed decisions about their health, and able to access affordable, effective care easily,” – Report authors
The inquiry’s findings are especially shocking for women with disability and those who identify as part of the LGBTIQA+ community. These populations experienced disproportionately more prolonged pain. Of these, 89% of women with disabilities reported that their pain affected their mental health, sleep quality, and mood. Many even felt ashamed, guilty, or helpless—and had self-harming thoughts—because of their pain.
In a statement, the state’s Health Minister Mary-Anne Thomas said she accepted the seriousness of these findings. She reiterated and was quick to point out that the report’s findings are not just a local problem but indicative of systemic and widespread challenges.
“This is not just a challenge for the Victorian health system,” – Health Minister Mary-Anne Thomas
“This is a challenge across the nation and, indeed, around the world.”
Delayed Release and Future Initiatives
Originally due out earlier this year, the report’s publication has been delayed by more than six months. Now it is scheduled to be released to the public in mid-2025. The delay underscores the obvious difficulties in fixing many of the problems that the inquiry found. Despite this, a number of positive initiatives have risen from the results.
Victoria will be world-first to bring the green whistle, or Penthrox, into hospitals to improve pain management for women getting intrauterine devices (IUDs). This program will be implemented at 20 sexual and reproductive health hubs statewide. This program is designed to empower women by increasing their options and control over the pain they experience from procedures.
The state is currently developing a new clinical pain standard. This is an important standard toward producing safer and more effective treatment for women in chronic pain.
“What the green whistle does is give women control over managing their pain but also over their body and their reproductive choices,” – Premier Jacinta Allan
A Call for Change
While the inquiry’s findings may create a depressing picture, they act as a stimulus for needed change in our healthcare system. Thea Baker is an outspoken advocate for women’s health. She hopes the report creates a groundswell of systemic change within medical practice.
“I’m really hoping that this inquiry and the results and the initiatives that are announced today are the beginning of really widespread systemic change within our medical system … so that women are believed, they are validated, their experiences are understood but primarily that they get efficient access to effective and evidence-based and above all compassionate care,” – Thea Baker
Sally Hasler detailed why it is critical to listen to women’s lived experiences about their health challenges. She continued that this true and impactful combination of testimonies represents a real and urgent call for change.
“This is a really powerful and courageous collection of women’s evidence — we owe them change,” – Sally Hasler
Health Minister Thomas remarked on the urgency of addressing these systemic challenges in collaboration with healthcare professionals and educational institutions.
“We need to work with our healthcare workforce, with our universities, with the medical colleges to address this issue,” – Health Minister Mary-Anne Thomas
“It’s a big system issue, so it’s going to take some time to change.”
