Landmark survey seeks women鈥檚 views on reproductive health
Women in England are being encouraged to help shape reproductive health policy by sharing their experiences, as the government launches a landmark survey.
- Launch of national online survey to gather vital data on women鈥檚 menstrual health, contraception, pregnancy planning and menopause
- Responses will help shape future policy on women鈥檚 health, enhance care and improve wellbeing
- Survey delivers on key commitment to ensure the health and care system prioritises women鈥檚 voices
Women across England are being encouraged to help shape future reproductive health policy by sharing their experiences of a range of issues, as the government launches a new landmark survey.
Delivering on a key commitment in the Women鈥檚 Health Strategy, the will seek women鈥檚 views across England on issues including periods, contraception, fertility, pregnancy and the menopause.
Findings from the survey will then be used to better understand women鈥檚 reproductive health experiences over time. The vital information gathered about the lives and experiences of women will inform current and future government decision-making and health policy.
There are currently disparities in women鈥檚 health across the country, and far too many cases where women鈥檚 voices are not being heard. Along with the strategy, the new survey will play a key part in changing this.
Minister for Women鈥檚 Health Strategy Maria Caulfield said:
Women and girls deserve the best healthcare at every stage of their lives, but we simply cannot deliver that without listening to their lived experiences and concerns.
Women should always have a say in their own healthcare, whether that鈥檚 in managing pregnancy and fertility or dealing with the challenges of the menopause in the workplace.
I would encourage every woman to complete the survey on reproductive health as soon as they鈥檙e able and ensure their voice is heard.
Women鈥檚 Health Ambassador Professor Dame Lesley Regan said:
We need to make healthcare work for women and girls - and for it to fit around their lives. There鈥檚 no point bolstering services if they cannot be accessed, or the support available does not work for them and meet their needs.
That鈥檚 why we鈥檙e asking women and girls to share their experience, whether it鈥檚 about periods, menopause or endometriosis. We need your voice to shape a new system of healthcare that gives women what they need.
Dr Rebecca French, Associate Professor of Sexual and Reproductive Health Research at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, said:
For most women, it can be nearly 40 years from their first period to menopause. Throughout this time, women should be able to make informed decisions about their own reproductive health and wellbeing, such as if and when to get pregnant and where to access appropriate support and treatment.
Women have previously described difficulties accessing reproductive health services - for example, to get contraceptive supplies, to access fertility treatment or to obtain an appointment with a gynaecologist. Often health services are not 鈥榡oined up鈥�, leading to multiple visits and appointment delays.
We know that poor reproductive health not only has a negative effect on health in general but can also impact women鈥檚 mental health, relationships and finances. Further research is needed to better understand inequalities across England so that women and people described as female at birth are able to make the choices they need for their own reproductive health and wellbeing.
The Women鈥檚 Reproductive Health Survey provides an opportunity to better understand what support is needed and how these issues can best be addressed.
The survey is open to all women in England aged 16 to 55 years and will run for 6 weeks from Thursday 7 September 2023.
It is being delivered by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and is funded by the Department of Health and Social Care.
Questions women are being asked to answer include:
- how much pain they experience during their periods
- how they prefer to access contraceptive services
- how satisfied they were with any support they received for menopausal symptoms
Just over a year on from the launch of the Women鈥檚 Health Strategy, over 300,000 more women have accessed cheaper hormone replacement therapy, new women鈥檚 health hubs are opening across the country in every integrated care board and .
Further measures being introduced include:
- a new artificial intelligence tool to identify early risks in maternity units
- 拢25 million will be distributed across England so every area can create a women鈥檚 health hub
- a new IVF tool on 188体育 so people can look up information about NHS-funded IVF treatments
- a new network of women鈥檚 health champions led by the Women鈥檚 Health Ambassador for England, Professor Dame Lesley Regan
A Menopause Employment Champion has also been appointed - recruitment and employability expert Helen Tomlinson - to improve support for menopause in the workplace. Helen is working with the Department for Work and Pensions to create an online repository of menopause resources for employers on 188体育. The Menopause Taskforce met in June to discuss menopause in the workplace.
The government has also awarded鈥痝rant funding to charities across England to help employers make changes to their workplace to support women鈥檚 reproductive health, which includes menopause.