Fertility
Medical misogyny in the UK leaves women in pain and undiagnosed for years, reveals report
A new report by the UK’s Women and Equalities Committee (WEC) that focusses on women’s reproductive health has warned that women are being left undiagnosed and in unnecessary pain for years.
Looking at conditions such as endometriosis, adenomyosis and heavy menstrual bleeding, the report reveals that women experiencing these health issues are constantly having their symptoms dismissed and normalised by their health providers.
This is due to stigma associated with gynaecological and urogynaecological health, a lack of education, and “medical misogyny” contributing to poor awareness of these conditions, says the report.
The report also found a lack of medical research, treatment options and specialists for such conditions, along with long waiting lists for gynaecological care, suggesting that the Government provides funding to help transform support and care for reproductive ill health.
The result of this medical misogyny and lack of awareness is that women are missing out on education and career opportunities, with their relationships, social lives and fertility being negatively impacted, with many resorting to expensive private healthcare.
The report states: “There is a clear lack of awareness and understanding of women’s reproductive health conditions among primary healthcare practitioners, particularly when those conditions occur in young women and girls.
“Women are finding their symptoms normalised and their pain dismissed, with an ingrained belief among some healthcare professionals that women, particularly those from a minority ethnic background, are exaggerating their symptoms. Such medical misogyny and racism is unacceptable.”
In a press statement, chair of the Women and Equalities Committee and Labour MP, Sarah Owen, stated: “Our inquiry has shown misogyny in medicine is leaving women in pain and their conditions undiagnosed.
“Women are finding their symptoms dismissed, are waiting years for life changing treatment and in too many cases are being put through trauma-inducing procedures. All the while, their conditions worsen and become more complicated to treat.
“Up to one in three women live with heavy menstrual bleeding, one in ten have a condition such as endometriosis or adenomyosis. It cannot be right that despite the prevalence of these conditions that such a lack of understanding and awareness persists.
“WEC heard compelling testimonies during the inquiry from high profile women including Naga Munchetty and Vicky Pattison about their experiences over years in seeking effective help. This issue is impacting so many women across the country from their teens through to their retirement.
“This report must act as a wake-up call and the NHS must urgently implement a training programme to improve the experience of treatment and diagnosis of reproductive health conditions.
“Improving early diagnosis, including follow-up appointments, should be a key performance indicator for the Women’s Health Strategy for England. Individuals with a suspected or diagnosed reproductive health condition should be offered specialist mental health support.
“The Committee calls on the Government to recognise the financial benefits of increased investment in early diagnosis and treatment of women’s reproductive health conditions and provide the additional funding necessary to truly transform the support available to the millions of women affected by reproductive ill health in this country.”
Speaking on Times Radio, Professor Joyce Harper of University College London’s EGA Institute for Women’s Health, said: “We have to educate our health professionals to be sure that they don’t pass women over and that women come to them with an issue, they need to investigate it properly.”
The WEC report suggests that more funding is provided for research into women’s reproductive health and that the government commits to reducing endometriosis diagnosis waiting times by two years.
Onto Health has acquired Levy Health, a fertility software company providing precision diagnostics and patient intake for reproductive medicine.
The acquisition, fuelled by Onto Health’s US$20m Series A fundraise in April, supports its plan to build scalable, tech-enabled infrastructure for reproductive medicine.
Onto founder Roohi Jeelani, MD, called it the first of several moves in the company’s expansion strategy in a LinkedIn post, adding that there was “more coming soon”.
She said: “This isn’t just an acquisition, it’s proof of how we’re building Onto: physician-led, tech-enabled, and built to scale without losing the personal touch fertility patients deserve.”
Headquartered in Chicago, Onto Health combines evidence-based fertility care with artificial intelligence-driven diagnostics, clinical automation and longevity science.
AI-driven diagnostics use software to analyse patient information and support clinical decision-making, rather than replace clinicians.
Levy Health, founded in Berlin with US offices in San Francisco, helps medical providers identify endocrine disorders more quickly and helps clinics streamline fertility workups.
Endocrine disorders affect the body’s hormone system, which can influence ovulation, menstrual cycles and fertility.
Co-founder Caroline Mitterdorfer said joining Onto would expand Levy Health’s fertility care tools to more clinics and patients, helping physicians focus on patient care.
Onto opened its first clinic in Chicago in February, with plans for three more in the greater Chicago area.
The company said in April that it would use its new funding, led by Artis and Humania, to support additional operations in the US and expand into the Gulf Cooperation Council.
The Gulf Cooperation Council includes six Arab states bordering the Persian Gulf.
Softening ageing ovaries could help women remain fertile for longer, early animal research suggests.
Fertility declines with age for several reasons, including poorer egg quality, fewer ovarian follicles and the gradual stiffening of ovarian tissue.
Existing fertility treatments, including hormone therapy and in vitro fertilisation, mainly address hormonal imbalances or help eggs mature or become fertilised.
Scientists are now examining whether changing the physical structure of the ovaries could provide another route for future fertility treatments.
Stuart A. Cook, of the Cardiovascular and Metabolic Disorders Programme at Duke-National University of Singapore Medical School, published an accompanying commentary on the research.
Researchers led by Shixuan Wang at Huazhong University of Science and Technology in Wuhan, China, collected healthy ovarian tissue from younger, middle-aged and older women.
They also examined samples from patients with polycystic ovary syndrome, known as PCOS, premature ovarian insufficiency, or POI, and endometriosis.
PCOS is a hormonal condition that can disrupt ovulation. POI occurs when the ovaries stop working normally before the age of 40, while endometriosis causes tissue similar to the womb lining to grow elsewhere in the body.
Tests of protein levels and gene activity found higher levels of the inflammatory protein interleukin-11, or IL-11, in ageing and diseased ovaries.
In laboratory experiments, the researchers exposed ovarian fibroblasts to IL-11. Fibroblasts are cells that produce connective tissue.
The protein caused the cells to produce excess collagen, a structural material that can build up during scarring and make tissue stiffer.
The researchers then genetically modified mice so they could not respond to IL-11. The animals developed less ovarian stiffening and maintained better ovarian function as they aged.
Similar results were seen in mouse models of PCOS and POI caused by chemotherapy.
In the final part of the experiment, older mice and rats were injected with a nanoparticle treatment containing small interfering RNA, or siRNA, designed to switch off IL-11.
The treatment made the animals’ ovaries less stiff and improved fertility.
Pregnancy rates among older mice rose from 25 per cent to 50 per cent, while average litter sizes also increased.
More rats treated with the therapy became pregnant and produced larger litters.
The approach remains highly speculative and will require considerably more research before its safety or effectiveness in women can be established.
However, the researchers said blocking the inflammatory pathway could eventually form the basis of new fertility treatments.
They said: “We propose that anti-IL-11 therapy represents a promising translational strategy for delaying ovarian ageing.”
W Group has opened applications for W Accelerate with Merck KGaA and M Ventures, inviting reproductive and maternal health startups, scaleups and spinouts to pitch for direct access to global pharma partnership and strategic investment.
Selected companies will pitch on 5th October, competing for the chance to accelerate their growth through commercial partnerships, investment, or both.
This is the third time Merck KGaA, a global leader in reproductive health, has partnered with W Group on the programme, which exists to close the innovation and investment gap in women’s health by connecting the sector’s most promising startups directly with the corporates and investors positioned to scale them.
What Merck KGaA and M Ventures are looking for
This year’s call is focused on breakthrough solutions in female infertility, fertility preservation, adenomyosis, endometriosis, polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome (PMOS), ovarian insufficiency, preeclampsia and pregnancy comorbidities.
New for this round, applicants choose between three pathways depending on what they need from the programme:
- The Partnership Lane, for companies seeking commercial collaborations and strategic relationships
- The Investment Lane, for founders looking to connect with investors and secure funding to scale
- The Dual Lane, for innovators pursuing both partnership and investment opportunities
How the Accelerate event works
Selected companies get a 1:1 pitch practice session ahead of time, then a private 30-minute session with Merck KGaA and M Ventures leadership on the day itself, small-group sessions with regulatory and investment strategy experts, an “Ask Merck Anything” roundtable, and a VIP networking reception.
Key dates
- Open call launches: 8th July
- Open call closes: 2nd September
- Notification of successful companies: 11th September
- Pitch day: 5th October
Applications are open now at wplatform.typeform.com/to/KGzviBQM.
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