Should men be involved in women’s health?

There are very different sides to this question. You have the men who are family, friends and partners, then you have the men who are surgeons, doctors, nurses and healthcare assistants.

In my opinion, with regards to male healthcare professionals I think there should be more education and study days provided in women’s health so that women can be provided with better care and support. In 2023, it was estimated that 47.3% of GPs in Ireland were male. For the majority of people their GP is their first line of medical care. We hear too many women with women’s health issues being dismissed by their GPs and this could be partially due to a lack of education given to healthcare professionals on this specialist area. I think that it is crucial for male healthcare professionals to be involved in women’s health to provide a more positive and overall better experience for women.

It can be extremely difficult as a woman to open up, be vulnerable and talk to male healthcare professionals and the men in our lives as we know that they can never fully understand what we experience in relation to women’s health.

For the men in our lives, I think it is a very positive thing if they show an interest and are willing to learn more about women’s health. It is so important to have a good support system at home and in our day to day lives. If men know more, they can help us women better when we are struggling physically and emotionally. I think it is a good idea to sit down with the men in our lives whether it is family, friends or your partner if we feel comfortable to do so, and tell them what you need, what is most effective to help when we are experiencing issues with women’s health whether it is painful periods, menopause symptoms, fertility issues, etc.

Sometimes we don’t know what we need or want to help us feel better and I think that we need to make them aware of that too, it is not always clear to us. Personally, I think being as clear as possible, straight to the point and if possible laying it all out in black and white is the best way to communicate this. Due to hormone changes, pain, emotions and everything else that comes with women’s health issues, we sometimes take how we are feeling out on other people. I know myself, around the time my period is due I can become extremely irritable and when I explain to those around me that I think this is why my mood changes, from my experience they are very understanding. For me, I need space and when I voice this to the people closest to me, they know that it is nothing personal and nothing they have done it is just what I need to cope with my change in mood and emotions around this time. I feel that if I didn’t have this conversation with others it would put a definite strain on my friendships and relationships, it is not an excuse to act in a certain way but it is to build an understanding with my family, friends and partner so that there are less arguments and more peace at a time where women can feel so vulnerable.

Men will never fully understand how women’s health impacts us but if we can share our experiences, knowledge and information with them on women’s health, I feel we will be able to cope better from more support and overall we can have a better experience with women’s health. The more we talk about women’s health and everything that comes with it, the less taboo the whole topic becomes.

-Tia