More than half of women in Ireland are worried about a female health issue, regardless of the stage of life they are in, according to a new survey. This relates to concerns around contraception, fertility and infertility, menstrual issues, as well as perimenopause and menopause.
The research was commissioned by Irish Life Health, as it announced a new first-of-its-kind female health GP consultation benefit, dedicated to meeting the demand for more specialised health services for women. Over half of respondents in the survey believe female healthcare is not well serviced in Ireland, while 38% are finding it difficult to get fast access to specialist female health expertise.
The research also revealed the main concerns among different age groups of women in Ireland, which found that 40% of 1 to 24-year-olds are worried about menstruation issues, and that the same proportion of 25 to 34-year-olds are worried about fertility issues. Almost half of 35-54-year-olds are worried about perimenopause or menopause.
Furthermore, 89% of women believe they know their body better than anyone, and more than 8 in 10 women are eager to understand more about their health. Other revelations from the survey were that only half of women feel like they truly understand their menstrual cycle, 62% of women get their health information from family and friends, while 59% source their information through social media and online platforms
The Female Health Consultation benefit by Irish Life Health is the first of its kind in Ireland, offering members access to GPs who specialise in female health, for support and advice in the areas of menstrual health, fertility, contraception, perimenopause and menopause, amongst others.
