Select committee: Women and Equalities Committee
Conclusion 14
1st Report - Women's reproductive health conditions
Published 11 Dec 2024
Paragraph 65
Addressed to Government Equalities Office
Women and Equalities Committee Women's reproductive health conditions All items in this report Report on parliament.uk ↗ Inquiry on parliament.uk ↗
Conclusion (the committee's words)
Healthcare practitioners lack sufficient understanding of the range and suitability of treatment options available to treat reproductive health conditions. Too often conditions are viewed through the prism of fertility which, while a necessary consideration, should not be the only factor influencing a clinician’s judgement. There is also an evident lack of empathy in primary care around the adverse effects some treatment options may have on a patient. For example, approaches which focus on managing symptoms rather than diagnosis risk diseases progressing with potentially life altering consequences.
From: Women and Equalities Committee, 1st Report - Women's reproductive health conditions (HC 337), paragraph 65, 11 December 2024
Government response
The government responded to the whole report on 5 March 2025 (deadline 11 February 2025).
Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.The government "welcomes" the Committee's report on women's reproductive health conditions and says its response details its position on the recommendations and the work it is doing so that "everyone receives the care that they deserve".
- The government says it recognises "how important this topic is" and is grateful to those who contributed to the inquiry.
- It states that, despite reproductive health conditions being "very common", women and girls "still face challenges accessing care".
- It lists issues the report highlights, including a lack of awareness of what a 'normal' period is, delayed diagnoses, and the need for more research.
- It also lists the importance of education and continued professional development for healthcare professionals among the issues the report highlights.