In a world constantly striving for greater gender equality, the concept of "women's health" may seem somewhat counterintuitive. If men and women are equal, why should we at Hello Inside emphasize the topic of "women's health"? Why do we devote so much time and resources to it? "What about 'men's health'?" some might ask. Why don't we just call it 'health'?
What is “women’s health” actually?
So what is women's health and why is it so important? We believe that equality essentially means equal opportunity and equal access. In the case of health, this means that it's simply not enough to simply provide general, one-size-fits-all health advice. We hope that women will find what they need there. Women, who make up 50% of the global population, face unique and specific challenges and circumstances when it comes to their health. For several historical—and in some cases current—reasons, they're at risk of being lost in more general conversations about health, pathologies, and disease.
In this blog post we will:
- explain some of the historical background. And we explain why we believe we should give women the special attention they deserve in our product.
- Look at the challenges or circumstances women face that men don't.
- Discuss why we at Hello Inside are proud to offer dedicated women's health programs to help women get the help, advice, and guidance they need to live longer, happier, and healthier lives.
Women have been excluded from medical studies in the past
In the United States, a 1977 Food and Drug Administration directive prohibited women from participating in clinical trials or research studies. The reason given was that the female body was considered "too complex" due to hormonal fluctuations . Medical professionals also had other concerns about the potential effects of drugs on women's fertility and childbearing potential.
This ban applied equally to all women, regardless of whether they used contraception or not, or whether they had no interest in having children in the future.
Although this ban was lifted in 1993, a major knowledge gap remains today. Important medical data is lacking not only about how certain diseases or pathologies manifest in women in the form of symptoms, but also about how women's bodies and metabolism respond to preventive and reactive medical measures.
For example, women were excluded from clinical trials testing new HIV medications, even though 48% of people living with HIV worldwide are women. When antiretroviral medications were introduced for HIV-positive women , the only conclusive data on their effectiveness came from studies conducted exclusively in men. This left a large gray area regarding the safety and effectiveness of these medications in women.
While it may sound like a statement of the obvious, it's worth repeating. Women's bodies are, have been, and always will be different from men's. They are highly affected by the hormonal balance required for their reproductive system, menstrual cycle, and fertility. This means that when it comes to important issues of health and well-being, there can be no one-size-fits-all solution for all genders.
How women's health is affected by certain diseases and pathologies
Heart disease is the leading cause of death among women. Yet, women often don't exhibit the typical symptoms or signs used to detect and prevent heart attacks. Women tend to experience less severe symptoms than men.
As a result, women wait 30% longer to visit a hospital when they first notice symptoms of a heart attack. And when they do visit a hospital, women are 50% more likely to be misdiagnosed. This is simply because their symptoms are more vague or seemingly less severe than those of men.
Although women can experience chest pain when they have a heart attack just like men, understanding women's health also means understanding the more subtle symptoms that are more common in women than in men, which can lead to misdiagnosis.
Symptoms include:
- shortness of breath
- nausea
- Vomit
- fatigue
- back pain
- Sweat
- Jaw pain
If women are unaware that these symptoms could be related to heart disease, they are less likely to get to the emergency room in a timely manner. Even if it isn't fatal, it can cause long-term, irreversible damage to the heart. This can lead to further complications such as irregular heart rhythms or an increased risk of a fatal heart attack later in life.
Misconceptions about body fat and body image
In recent decades, the way media is created, used, and consumed has been revolutionized. Social media platforms and algorithms that play on some of our human instincts and drives bombard millions of us daily with countless images of extremely thin and supposedly attractive or desirable body shapes.
Body dysmorphia and eating disorders affect both men and women. However, one fundamental difference is that men are generally biologically designed for a leaner and more muscular physique, while for many women, achieving the body fat levels regularly presented to us on our mobile phone screens is an impossible and defeatist task.
Biological factors
Women naturally have a higher body fat percentage and store their fat in different places than men. A healthy body fat percentage in women even plays an important role in metabolism, hormonal balance, and the female reproductive system. Biologically, women have evolved to store more fat so they can give birth, feed, and raise their children even in food-scarce environments.
Yet the flood of bikini images—and unfathomably unscientific concepts like the gap between a woman's thighs—has left many women feeling like they must malnourish and live in a perpetual calorie deficit to achieve an impossibly low body fat percentage. To achieve this, many women follow unhealthy and unsafe diets. This means their immune and digestive systems may not be receiving enough nutrients to function optimally.
Beyond the physical effects, the consequences for mental health in today's world and the particular challenge this poses for women, who—as mentioned—are biologically designed to carry more body fat than men, are significant. Another reason why we believe women's health requires additional attention in this regard.
Women's health and body image
Body image and weight issues begin in women at a young age but often persist into old age. Studies show that 50% of teenagers describe themselves as "confident" about their bodies, while 26.2% report being "unsatisfied." By age 60, 28.7% of women are "unsatisfied" and 32.6% are "confident" about their bodies.
15% of young women have significantly disturbed attitudes and behaviors toward food. 90% of women suffering from eating disorders are between 12 and 25 years old.
The menstrual cycle
One of the most obvious differences between women's and men's health is that women have a monthly menstrual cycle . The female cycle begins during puberty in early adolescence and lasts until menopause in middle age.
To ensure the menstrual cycle is as unobtrusive as possible and causes as little discomfort as possible, it is important for all women to lead a healthy and balanced lifestyle and maintain a balanced metabolism. Under these conditions, a woman's hormone production is stable, making the menstrual cycle much easier to manage.
Phases of the menstrual cycle
As you can see in the infographic above, the menstrual cycle consists of four distinct phases. During each of these phases, the body produces different types and amounts of hormones that affect mood and energy levels and can even cause physical discomfort. The main hormones that move in a monthly dance are: estrogen, progesterone, luteinizing hormone (LH), and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH). We won't go into detail here, except to note that the dance is complex and highly individual in the ranges in which the hormones move. And these hormonal fluctuations also change across a woman's life stages —from puberty to menopause.
A fact that most women are completely unaware of regarding their health: unstable blood sugar levels are the most underestimated cause of a range of hormonal problems. Blood sugar stability affects the entire hormonal – the endocrine – system. A key function of this system is the transport of glucose to the brain, muscles, and organs. If this very delicate process isn't working properly, it's obvious that uncontrolled blood sugar isn't the only problem you face. Other parts of the endocrine system are also no longer functioning as planned. You may be wondering: How can you address and solve a fundamental problem that you weren't even aware of until now: unstable blood sugar, and that this could be related to a hormonal cascade and the challenges you experience every month?
How can I stabilize my blood sugar level?
The good news is: unstable blood sugar levels can be easily improved by adjusting your lifestyle to your cycle phases. The key to ensuring each cycle phase runs as seamlessly as possible is to identify your individual pattern.
So make sure your blood sugar levels are balanced . This is the easiest place to start, and it's related to how you exercise, what you eat, how you sleep, and how much stress you have—and how you feel in relation to all of this.
Make sure your blood sugar levels remain stable throughout all phases of your cycle. You can keep track of this by continuously monitoring your blood sugar levels. You can do this with a CGM (Continuous Glucose Monitoring) device and the Hello Inside app.
This way, you can figure out how best to approach the four phases of your menstrual cycle by adjusting your diet and exercise plan . This will help you best manage the different stresses and influences of hormone production on your body.
We go into this in much more detail in the women's health programs in the Hello Inside app. We also offer even more practical advice, knowledge, and tips to help you better manage your menstrual cycle and hormones.
Women's health and blood sugar
Unstable blood sugar levels can pose a significant risk for women to develop serious diseases over the course of their lives. High insulin resistance and poor blood sugar control are linked to polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), infertility , menstrual irregularities , weight problems, and even skin conditions .
The good news is that women can prevent these problems and their distressing symptoms. This is possible by stabilizing blood sugar levels through targeted measures. Onestudy has shown that a 24-week low-glycemic diet significantly improved insulin sensitivity in women with PCOS and lowered fasting insulin.
The biomarker "blood sugar" can tell you so much more about what's going on in your body. That's why we should constantly monitor our blood sugar levels. It's amazing and helpful to see how our body reacts to certain lifestyle habits and choices we make.
Take the first step toward hormonal balance and a happier, healthier life. Discover our new Hello Inside programs for women's health.
