Officials at the Observatory of Equality's annual conference highlighted significant gender-related disparities in healthcare, emphasising the need for gender-sensitive approaches in medical treatment and research.
The Observatory of Equality on Monday presented its annual activity report during a public conference at the Centre Hospitalier de Luxembourg (CHL), with officials particularly highlighting persisting gender-related issues in the healthcare sector. It is just as important to wear the “gender glasses” in the medical field, stated Minister for Gender Equality and Diversity Yuriko Backes, who also attended the conference and pleaded for a more close-knit collaboration with the Health Ministry.
A whole range of pertinent examples were thus discussed, including gender-specific symptom differences and the associated dangers with belated diagnoses. Women, for instance, on average seek out emergency services half an hour later than men when suffering a heart attack, as explained by Prof Dr Vera Regitz-Zagrosek, the guest speaker from Berlin's Charité. Moreover, while women are generally less prone to suffer a heart attack than men, they are more likely to die from one.
Mental health
According to surveys, women often have more trouble balancing their private and work lives, a problem that can engender psychological issues. However, contrary to heart attacks, women are more prone to seek help in these situations than men. Speakers at the conference further drew attention to the fact that while women are more sensitive to depression, men commit suicide more often, which was highlighted as another reason for concern.
Prof Dr Regitz-Zagrosek expressed her belief that medicine is still dominated by the traditional male approach, which she links to the lack of high-ranking female doctors, as well as a disinterest in gender-specific research.
Domestic violence
The Observatory brought to light further discrepancies in the area of domestic violence. Women are generally more threatened than men, no matter if it is physical or psychological abuse. However, with minors there is no difference between genders.
Government officials hope to implement a first national plan in order to research which genders are threatened by the different kinds of violence. The Observatory will also continue collecting data, according to Backes, who emphasised that political decisions always have to be backed up by figures.
Although Minister of Health Martine Deprez did not stay until the end of the event, she also reiterated the importance of gender-specific needs in the medical field when addressing the conference.
