Women in England are being encouraged to help shape reproductive health policy by sharing their experiences, in a new government survey.
Delivering on a key commitment in the Women’s Health Strategy, the Women’s Reproductive Health Survey seeks women’s views across England on issues including periods, contraception, fertility, pregnancy and the menopause. The information gathered about the lives and experiences of women will be used to better understand women’s reproductive health experiences over time and inform current and future government decision-making and health policy.
There are currently disparities in women’s health across the country, and far too many cases where women’s voices are not being heard. Along with the strategy, the survey will play a key part in changing this. It is open to all women in England aged 16 to 55 and is running until 19th October. It is being delivered by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and is funded by the Department of Health and Social Care.
The survey should take 10-20 minutes to complete and includes questions around:
- how much pain is experienced during periods
- preferences around access to contraceptive services
- satisfaction with support for menopausal symptoms.
Just over a year on from the launch of the Women’s Health Strategy, over 300,000 more women have accessed cheaper hormone replacement therapy, new women’s health hubs are opening across the country in every integrated care board and a dedicated women’s health area has been added to the NHS website.
Further measures being introduced include:
- a new artificial intelligence tool to identify early risks in maternity units
- £25 million will be distributed across England so every area can create a women’s health hub
- a new IVF tool on GOV.UK so people can look up information about NHS-funded IVF treatments
- a new network of women’s health champions led by the Women’s 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 GOV.UK. The Menopause Taskforce met in June to discuss menopause in the workplace.
The Government has also awarded grant funding to charities across England to help employers make changes to their workplace to support women’s reproductive health, which includes menopause.
