Female-Specific Conditions — Gender Health Gap

Female-specific conditions

Conditions unique to the female body

Pregnancy & Breastfeeding

90% of pregnant women need medication — almost none of it has been tested on them.

0.4%

of EU clinical trials include pregnant women

90%

of pregnant women require medication of some form

70%

take at least one prescription drug during pregnancy

2.4%

of commonly used drugs tested in controlled human trials in pregnancy

What we know

Less than 0.4% of all EU clinical trials include pregnant women; only 0.1% include lactating women (CTIS data)
Obstetrical conditions affect 33%+ of women worldwide, but obstetrical clinical trials represent only 2% of all US trials
Postpartum haemorrhage — the leading cause of maternal mortality in low-income countries — has seen only two effective drugs developed in 30 years
Pre-eclampsia accounts for 15% of maternal deaths and remains poorly understood and undertreated
Nausea and vomiting affects 70% of pregnant women but has not been addressed in any significant research intervention
New EMA guidelines (2025) call for including pregnant women in trials for all new drugs — a landmark shift

Menopause

A natural life stage affecting all women, yet treated as a niche medical issue — or pathologised and dismissed.

100%

of women experience menopause — yet research remains critically limited

The medical reality

After menopause, women's CVD risk substantially increases due to oestrogen decline — a critical and underresearched mechanism
Lower oestrogen levels lead to altered vascular function, enhanced inflammation, and changes to the cardiovascular system
The role of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) on cardiovascular risk remains unclear and under-researched
Menopause causes bone density loss of up to 20% — directly linked to osteoporosis in 22.1% of European women over 50
Menopause symptoms are routinely dismissed by healthcare providers, or labelled as psychological rather than physiological
There is up to a 10-fold higher volume of new therapies for women's cancers compared to gynaecological conditions like menopause
The EU's Gender Equality Strategy 2020–2025 and the Roadmap for Women's Rights (2025) both address the need for better menopause care

Endometriosis

Called the "missed disease" — a condition causing severe pain, infertility, and disability that takes years to diagnose.

7–10

average years before diagnosis

~1 in 10

women of reproductive age affected globally

€7M

EUmetriosis EU research initiative launched Jan 2025

Chronic

pain, fatigue, and fertility impacts severely reduce quality of life

Why it's still the "missed disease"

Severe pelvic pain — the primary symptom — is routinely normalised or dismissed by healthcare providers
Historically understudied due to the androcentric assumption that period pain is a "normal" part of womanhood
Despite widespread impact on daily function and fertility, it receives minimal R&D investment compared to cancer
Endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) found in food, products, and the environment can disrupt the hormonal processes linked to endometriosis
The EU's EUmetriosis initiative (2025) is working with patient organisations across Europe to improve treatments
EP recommendations call for collaborative research funding and improved medical training for early diagnosis

Uterine Fibroids

The "silent burden" — fibroids affect the majority of women at some point, yet awareness is devastatingly low.

High

prevalence, especially in Black women — but rarely discussed or screened for

What the evidence shows

Uterine fibroids are the most common benign gynaecological tumour, with majority of women developing them by age 50
Prevalence is significantly higher in Black women, reflecting intersecting racial and socioeconomic healthcare disparities
Symptoms include heavy bleeding, pelvic pain, and pressure on adjacent organs — but are often undertreated
Many women do not know they have fibroids until experiencing significant complications or undergoing unrelated imaging
The condition is underfunded and insufficiently addressed in health care research and service provision
EU study recommends: public awareness campaigns, more funding for early detection and less invasive treatments

Urogynaecological Conditions

Urinary incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse affect millions of women — yet remain taboo and massively undertreated.

~50%

of older EU women experience urinary incontinence

Key findings

Urinary incontinence (UI) affects almost half of older women in the EU, yet clinical trials for this condition are largely neglected
Pelvic organ prolapse (POP) significantly impacts quality of life but remains under-discussed and under-treated
Social stigma prevents many women from seeking medical help — and the medical system rarely asks
UI and POP can be partially prevented through antenatal pelvic floor exercises, yet this is not routinely included in prenatal care
EP study recommends better provider training, public awareness materials in health centres, and media campaigns to reduce stigma

Institutional harm

Obstetric & Gynaecological Violence

Obstetric violence — disrespectful, abusive, or non-consensual care during childbirth and gynaecological procedures — is a recognised form of gender-based violence. It disproportionately affects marginalised women and remains deeply embedded in healthcare culture.

The European Parliament's 2021 resolution explicitly acknowledged obstetric violence as a form of gender-based violence. The EU Directive on combatting violence against women (2024/1385) requires Member States to guarantee SRH services for victims of violence.

Procedures performed on women without informed consent during childbirth — including episiotomies, internal examinations, and physical restraints — are documented across EU member states.

European Parliament Resolution, 2021

The phenomenon disproportionately affects migrant women, women from ethnic minorities, and socioeconomically disadvantaged groups — who face compounding discrimination in healthcare settings.

EP Study PE 778.519, 2025

No harmonised definition, legal framework, or data collection system exists across EU Member States. Victims currently rely on general patient safety legislation — if any remedies exist at all.