Source · Select Committees · Women and Equalities Committee
Recommendation 5
5
Deferred
Paragraph: 26
Specify in statutory guidance that boys must be taught female reproductive health conditions
Conclusion
The statutory guidance should specify that boys should be taught about female reproductive health conditions.
Government Response Summary
The government's response deflects the recommendation to specify teaching boys about female reproductive health in statutory guidance by discussing NHS England's plans for elective care reform, addressing racial biases in healthcare, and professional training for healthcare professionals.
Paragraph Reference:
26
Government Response
Deferred
HM Government
Deferred
The government recognises that raising awareness of reproductive ill health is crucial to improving people’s experiences of care and ensuring that no one feels that their pain is dismissed, regardless of ethnicity or socio-cultural situation or belief. In terms of treatment and diagnosis, NHS England’s plan on reforming elective care for patients (linked in ‘Introduction’ above) sets out how the NHS will reform elective care services and meet the 18-week referral-to-treatment standard by March 2029. This will mean earlier diagnoses and treatment. However, we know that women are not always listened to when they first seek care - and that some groups experience this even more acutely. Racial biases in how care is delivered are not acceptable. We are committed to addressing racial biases and ensuring that all individuals experiencing pain are believed and supported to access treatment quickly. To address this, and to help GPs and other primary healthcare professionals develop their awareness of reproductive health conditions, the Royal College of General Practitioners ( RCGP ) has created a Women’s Health Library . This contains educational resources including e-learning modules and guidelines on women’s health that are relevant to GPs and other primary healthcare professionals. It brings together: national guidance resources produced and accredited by RCGP resources from the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists ( RCOG ) and the Faculty of Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare ( FSRH ) NHS England is actively assessing workforce training gaps and scoping future clinical training needs as part of the wider approach to workforce reform. It will work closely with professional organisations, including RCGP , FSRH and RCOG , to support practitioners to achieve the required competencies for delivering high-quality women’s health services in the community. Women’s health hubs are well positioned to assess the training needs of healthcare professionals in both general practice and the wider community. By working closely with general practice, hubs can help identify gaps in knowledge and skills while supporting the upskilling of healthcare professionals. This approach ensures that care delivery is informed by best practices and the lived experiences of women and girls.