Barbara Levy , 2025-04-20 13:50:00
Women’s health has been historically sidelined – underfunded, underresearched and often misunderstood. While interest and investment around complex women’s health have increased, we’re still a long way away from delivering meaningful outcomes to women at scale.
Case in point: Endometriosis is a debilitating and life-limiting condition that impacts 1 in 10 reproductive-aged women globally, yet it still takes between 4-11 years to accurately diagnose and treat. Similarly, polycystic ovarian syndrome or PCOS impacts between 6-13% of reproductive-aged women globally, and 70% remain undiagnosed.
These gaps continue to shape women’s healthcare experiences today and perpetuate a culture of underdiagnosis, misdiagnosis, delayed treatment, and ineffective and expensive procedures. I’ve spent my career advocating for a more inclusive, patient-centered approach to women’s healthcare, and I’m encouraged by an industry that is finally, if slowly, shifting – driven in part by women refusing to accept routine dismissal of symptoms and demanding better, more personalized care.
Whole-person approach
In women’s health, fragmented care and the treatment of symptoms by individual specialists is all too common. Women have therapists or psychiatrists for anxiety and depression, cardiologists for their palpitations, neurologists for their migraines and rheumatologists for their chronic fatigue – all of which could be related to metabolic and hormonal imbalances. The whole-person approach to healthcare can provide more effective, compassionate, and personalized care. However, scaling this approach remains a challenge.
Women need comprehensive health solutions from menstruation to the years after menopause that improve immediate health concerns, such as pain and fatigue, while also improving long-term well-being and quality of life.
For example, a woman with endometriosis may find pain relief without a hysterectomy by combining a new diet with medication and iron supplements. A woman diagnosed with osteoporosis may need help developing a plan to avoid falls and incorporate high-intensity strength training in addition to or in lieu of standard medications that have significant side effects for many.
Yet, these proactive treatment plans are often overlooked or worse, not even considered. More critically, as a profession, we still don’t have a standardized way to track and measure proactive treatment methods for women at scale. And as the saying goes, what doesn’t get measured doesn’t get improved.
Shared decision-making model
The healthcare industry increasingly reflects an understanding that actively involving patients in decision-making leads to better adherence and outcomes.
A shared decision-making model supports ongoing two-way dialogue between the provider and patient. It recognizes that the job of a healthcare professional is to give patients all the information they need to make the best choices for themselves.
This model is particularly important for women, given the historical dismissal of their concerns by the medical community and the often-incomplete research into and understanding of their condition, which can result in competing treatment options. By offering information about all of the options available to women, we can help- them understand the pros and cons, factoring in how these treatments may align with their individual health and lifestyle goals. We are also very clear to discuss what is known, what is thought to be true, and what is simply unknown about her condition and the treatment choices.
By taking this approach, we remove the patriarchal model and make women partners in their care and treatment decisions – shaped by their personal values, preferences, health goals and life circumstances.
Confidently moving forward
Too many women have experienced the impacts of living with gynecological conditions while feeling dismissed and struggling to get care. Women deserve better, and as we collectively challenge outdated norms, we are beginning to see improvement.
Still, there’s much more work to be done. While women’s health may be having its moment, we’re far from closing gaps in research and delivering equitable health outcomes.
The best place to start? By listening to women when they tell us what’s happening in their bodies. From there, a more intentional and coordinated approach across regulatory, research, treatment and care delivery is needed to truly effect change at scale.
Photo: asnidamarwani, Getty Images
Barbara Levy, M.D., FACOG, FACS, is a lifelong advocate for advancing the quality of women’s health. Dr. Levy was in private practice and served as a Medical Director for Women’s and Children’s Services for the Franciscan Health System. She was elected as the first female president of AAGL in 1994-1995.In 2012 Dr. Levy joined the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG). She built a quality, safety and informatics team dedicated to supporting improvement in health care for women. Her research interests span from outcomes research in minimally invasive gynecologic surgery to optimizing care for women with chronic pelvic pain. Her clinical work focused on evidence-based, equitable, comprehensive care for women throughout their life course. Today, Dr. Levy is the Chief Medical Officer for Visana Health, a virtual women’s health clinic transforming care delivery from menstruation to menopause.
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