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Adolescent health

Women diagnosed with ADHD five years later than men

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Women are diagnosed with ADHD around five years later than men, despite symptoms appearing at the same age, new research has revealed.

The delay in diagnosis is linked to worse outcomes for women with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), which affects concentration and impulse control.

It is associated with higher rates of depression, anxiety and everyday impairment.

Scientists analysed 900 adults (54.9 per cent male, 45.1 per cent female, average age 36.94) newly diagnosed with ADHD at a specialised outpatient programme in Barcelona.

Women were diagnosed at an average age of 28.96 years compared to 24.13 for men, despite symptoms starting at similar ages.

By the time of diagnosis, women showed more severe symptoms, with higher rates of depression and anxiety and poorer daily functioning.

Men, meanwhile, were around three times more likely to have legal issues, with 18.1 per cent reporting such problems compared to 6.6 per cent of women.

“ADHD affects millions of people, but our understanding of how it presents and impacts males and females differently remains limited,” said Dr Silvia Amoretti, lead researcher from Barcelona.

“We found that females are underdiagnosed, often receiving a diagnosis years later than males.

“This delay may lead to worse clinical outcomes, including depression, anxiety and functional impairment.

“Males, on the other hand, showed a higher level of involvement in delinquent behaviours such as legal problems and driving-related difficulties.

“We believe that a better understanding of these sex-based differences might improve diagnosis and treatment.”

The research compared males and females across factors such as age at diagnosis, symptom severity, psychiatric comorbidities, psychosocial functioning and disability.

Participants underwent standardised clinical interviews and validated rating scales.

Dr Amoretti said the finding had not been expected: “We didn’t set out to compare the age of diagnosis in males and females.

“We were aiming to understand the general age when symptoms appear, regardless of sex.

“This difference emerged during the analysis, and the scale of it came as a surprise.”

Experts believe delayed diagnosis in women often results from differences in symptom presentation.

Boys tend to show more visible hyperactive or impulsive behaviour, making ADHD easier to spot. Girls are more likely to display inattentive traits that seem less disruptive.

“It’s likely that women are diagnosed later because ADHD manifests differently in men and women,” Dr Amoretti said.

“Boys are more likely to be hyperactive or impulsive, behaviour that is more obvious to parents, teachers and clinicians. Girls are more often inattentive and less disruptive.

“Clinically, this means women are not treated early enough and are sometimes not diagnosed at all. We have seen similar tendencies internationally, so it is likely this is a global problem.

“The nature of the condition leads to poorer diagnosis in women everywhere, meaning they can lose on average five years of treatment — five years of a better life.”

Professor Sandra Kooij from Amsterdam UMC/VUmc and PsyQ in The Hague, who was not involved in the research, said differences in symptoms, limited clinician awareness of ADHD in women and hormonal changes affecting mood all contribute to delays in diagnosis.

“Increasing awareness in both society and medicine helps girls and women to get earlier help when they need it,” Professor Kooij said.

Adolescent health

WUKA brings Period-Positive Pool Party to London Aquatics Centre to keep girls swimming through puberty

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This summer, WUKA and triple Olympian Hannah Miley MBE are bringing their Period-Positive Pool Party to London Aquatics Centre with one clear mission: to prove that periods should never keep anyone out of the water

At a time when 84 per cent of teenage girls in the UK say their interest in sport declines after starting their period – and nearly 70 per cent report skipping sports or swimming due to menstruation – WUKA’s immersive community event is tackling one of the most overlooked barriers to girls’ participation head-on.

WUKA’s Period-Positive Pool Party was created as a safe, inclusive space for teens to swim on their periods with confidence.

Following a series of sold-out events across the UK, including Eastleigh and Stonehaven in Hannah Miley’s hometown of Aberdeen, the London-based Olympic venue is a result of growing demand from teens and parents seeking supportive, stigma-free spaces to stay active during menstruation.

Why This Matters?

For many young people – particularly those who are not ready to use tampons due to age, comfort, cultural reasons, or parental guidance – swimming during their period can feel inaccessible.

WUKA’s period swimwear offers an alternative designed to provide comfort, coverage, and confidence, helping ensure that periods don’t mean sitting on the sidelines.

The new one-hour London takeover combines swimming, education, and empowerment in one of the UK’s most iconic sporting venues.

Breaking The Stigma While Making A Splash

So much more than a product event, WUKA’s Period-Positive Pool Party is a fully immersive experience featuring a DJ-approved summer playlist, inflatable pool installations, and professional underwater photography capturing barrier-free swimming moments. Every teen will also receive a curated £80 wellness goodie bag, including free WUKA swimwear.

But more than anything, they’re about freedom, confidence, and belonging, ensuring the confidence to swim, period, or not, continues long after they leave the water.

Hannah Miley MBE says: “Being an athlete taught me that your cycle isn’t a weakness, it’s just something to manage.

“Partnering with WUKA for this Pool Party is about showing young swimmers that with the right support and the right kit, they don’t have to press pause on their lives or their sport because of their period.”

WUKA Founder Ruby Raut says: “This is about more than a pool party – it’s about changing what inclusion in sport actually looks like.

“Too many girls step back from swimming and physical activity because of period stigma or lack of options.

“Through community-led events like this, we’re breaking barriers, building confidence, and making sure no one feels excluded from sport because of their cycle.”

Saturday 30th May 2026 | 5–6pm | London Aquatics Centre

Want to join the pool party? Follow this link to buy your tickets

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Wellness

France to reimburse young women for cost of reusable period products

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France will reimburse reusable period products for women under 26 and those on low incomes, in a move aimed at tackling period poverty.

The measure is expected to help 6.7m people, almost a tenth of France’s population of 69m, from the start of the next academic year in the autumn.

Women under 26 with a state health insurance card, as well as women of all ages who receive special healthcare support because of limited income, will be able to claim reimbursement after buying the products from a pharmacy. The cost will be covered through the country’s social security system.

Parliament approved the measure as part of the country’s social security budget for 2024. However, no decree was issued to bring it into force, prompting anger among feminist groups and companies making the sustainable sanitary items.

A survey of 4,000 women in France in November found that one in ten had used alternatives to mainstream period products, such as ripped-up clothes, because of tight budgets, according to French charity Dons Solidaires.

France cut sales tax on period products from 20 per cent to 5.5 per cent in 2016. In 2020, Scotland became the first country in the world to sign into law free universal access to period products in public buildings.

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Adolescent health

Newly-launched Female Health Hub will support grassroots football players

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A new Female Health Hub launched by the English FA will support women and girls in grassroots football in England with trusted advice on health issues affecting play.

The hub brings together expert-backed guidance, practical tools and player insights in one place, giving women and girls practical advice and reassurance on female health in football.

It has four core aims: to help women and girls better understand their bodies and how female health affects performance and participation, to educate players on key health topics and when to seek further advice or support, to provide practical strategies to help navigate common female health challenges, and to help break down taboos and normalise conversations around female health in football.

Users of the hub will also be able to hear directly from members of the England women’s national team, who share their own experiences of navigating female health matters while playing at the highest level of the game.

“Our ambition is to create a game where women and girls can thrive,” said Sue Day, the FA’s director of women’s football.

“To achieve that, it’s essential that players feel supported in environments that understand and respond to their female health needs.

“We’ve heard directly from grassroots players that they want better information and support around female health, but that they often don’t know where to find it.

“The launch of the Female Health Hub marks an important step in changing the landscape.

“We want every player to feel confident in her own skin and supported without judgment, so she can feel empowered by her body, rather than held back by it.”

The platform was launched following research conducted by the FA that highlighted the need for better education and support around female health in football.

According to the FA, 88 per cent of adult players surveyed said their menstrual cycle has an impact on their ability to train or play, but 86 per cent reported they had never received education about the menstrual cycle in relation to football performance and training.

The research also found 64 per cent of women experience issues related to sports bras or breast health while playing football, despite sports bras being considered one of the most important pieces of playing kit.

Players also expressed strong interest in learning more about injury prevention, at 87 per cent, nutrition, at 84 per cent, and mental health, at 77 per cent, in relation to female health.

The first phase of the Female Health Hub focuses on three of the most requested topics: menstrual health, breast health and injury resilience, with further content to follow, including nutrition and pelvic health guidance.

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