Lymphoedema: a women's health challenge

As society becomes more aware of the disparities in gender healthcare there has been a noticeable shift towards addressing the unique needs of women due to inequalities, and suggestions that female symptoms are often dismissed or overlooked. Government policies and healthcare initiatives focussed on various stages of a woman’s life,  such as reproductive health and menopause, are being prioritised to improve outcomes.^1,2

However, improving women’s health is multifaceted and must address numerous factors plus should not be limited to just contraception, fertility, hormones, and reproduction. Gender specific conditions including cancers, mental health and wellbeing, bone health, autoimmune diseases, eating disorders and heart disease for example need to be considered. Dementia is the leading cause for death in women with 51,407 women recorded in 2018 compared to 26,579 males.³ Yet, dementia is not the main focus on women’s health priorities as improved diagnosis and Alzheimer’s awareness (as well as women living longer from surviving other illnesses) may be the contributory cause.