3 Myths Holding Back Women's Healthcare Today

On Monday, President Joe Biden signed an executive order to expand U.S. government research on women's health, announcing $200 million in research investments to better understand women's health issues. This is the State of the Union address in which the president highlighted the lack of funding for women's health research and called for a $12 billion investment to transform women's health research and benefit millions of lives in the United States. was held immediately after.

We're only in the 21st century, but incredibly, medical research, care, and investment are still dependent on men's bodies. Although women's health is generally considered to be sexual and reproductive health, the majority of the global women's health burden is caused by diseases that differentially or disproportionately affect women. Masu. These are just some of the findings from a new analysis conducted by the World Economic Forum in collaboration with the McKinsey Institute for Health Research.

The cost is beyond imagination.

Yes, women in the United States tend to live longer than men, but on average they spend about 25% more time in poor health, and nearly two-thirds of that time is during their working years. Our research shows that closing women's health disparities could add nearly $295 billion to the United States' annual GDP by 2040. Most of the gains will come from reducing disability for women and increasing workforce productivity and participation, goals that all Americans can support.

Big numbers are abstract. Personal costs could not be more specific.

For example, one of us lost our beloved grandmother at an early age. Because women's symptoms are often different from men's, doctors did not recognize her fatigue and indigestion as symptoms of heart disease. She was diagnosed with depression and sent to her home, where she suddenly died of a heart attack. She left behind her husband, who was battling her debilitating illness and caring for her around the clock.

As the latest data shows, her story is unfortunately not unique. Women are more than twice as likely to die after a heart attack than men.

Women in all communities often make significant contributions to the economy while doing essentially unpaid work as carers. In addition to increasing GDP, closing women's health inequalities would have a significant economic impact, adding seven days of healthy life expectancy per woman per year.

Progress requires a healthcare system that is more equitable and accessible for women. To get there, we need to discard common myths about women's health and encourage action across industries and stakeholders. Some superstitions that hinder progress:

Myth: “Women’s health” refers to sexual and reproductive health

Reality: Approximately 56 percent of women's health burden is attributable to diseases that differentially or disproportionately impact women, yet gender differences are poorly understood. The World Economic Forum and the McKinsey Institute for Health Research reviewed more than 650 academic papers and found that only half of interventions considered gender-specific evidence. Of those for which gender-based evidence was available, 64% showed a disadvantage for women.

Myth: Human biology is gender independent

Reality: Many treatments and care options, such as asthma inhalers combined with biologics for rheumatoid arthritis, are less effective for women. Based on data from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration Adverse Event Reporting System, women report 52 percent more serious adverse events from approved drugs and 36 percent more serious or fatal events than men. Not surprisingly, women experience poor health more often than men because male biology is the default.

Myth: Women and men can expect the same quality of care.

Reality: Women routinely face barriers, bias, and bias in a health care system designed for men, which makes female patients less likely to receive the same interventions for certain diseases. An NIH study shows that men are three times more likely to receive cardiac resynchronization therapy to control arrhythmias, for example.

The public and private sectors can do more to improve women's health, a pillar of fiscal and social health. There is an opportunity to further invest in women-centered research. Collect and analyze more gender-, ethnicity-, and gender-specific data. Expanding access to gender-specific care. Create incentives for new financing models. Adopt policies that are more supportive of women's health. Strengthen women's representation in decision-making across healthcare-related sectors.

Together, we can raise awareness about women's health disparities and advocate for change that benefits not only women but the entire country.

Megan Greenfield is a partner in McKinsey & Company's Boston office and Lucy Pérez is a senior partner, both affiliated with the McKinsey Institute for Health Research.