Women’s equality in the UK – A health check

12.41
12.42
Recommendations:
• There is a need for more preventative measures and raising awareness about
women and mental health including ensuring that violence against women is
acknowledged as a key inequality that impacts upon mental health. This should be
a role for Public Health England and Health and Wellbeing Boards
• The Department of Health needs to provide clear guidance about the value
and legality of women-only specialist services, and should be promoting
and supporting women’s services as partners in supporting women’s good
mental health
Screening
In the last 20 years, the rates of smoking and lung cancer fell sharply for men, yet at the same
time rates increased and stabilised for women. More young women (age 16-19) smoke and so
are at risk of lung cancer, compared to young men. 91 Cancer morbidity and mortality rates are
also reducing more quickly for men than for women. 92 Women living in the most deprived areas
have cervical cancer rates more than three times as high as those in the least deprived areas. 93
Women living in deprived areas have a lower survival rate for breast cancer 94 and inequalities in
rates of breast cancer are increasing. 95 Breast cancer is the second biggest cause of death from
cancer for women in the UK, after lung cancer. In women under the age of 35, breast cancer is
the most commonly diagnosed cancer. 96 In 2009 48,417 women in the UK were diagnosed with
breast cancer. 97 (See Appendix: 23 for more information)
Recommendation:
The Government need to commit to a national primary prevention strategy for breast
cancer as part of the Cancer Reform Strategy
Women and cardiovascular disease
Women’s risk of cardiovascular disease in general increases later in life and one in three women
die from cardiovascular disease (similar to men), yet they are less likely to think they are at
risk, notice the symptoms and so seek help at a later stage, or to attend a cardio rehabilitation
programme. 98 Women are also less likely to be referred to specialists and there is very little
national policy that takes these differences into account. 99 Women are also more at risk of
stroke than men and tend to be more seriously affected, needing long-term care. 100
91. Office for National Statistics (2008) Focus on Gender, September 2008. ONS: London http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/social-trends-rd/
focus-on-gender/september-2008/index.html
92. Department of Health (2008) The Gender and Access to Health Services Study: Final Report http://www.sfh-tr.nhs.uk/attachments/
article/41/The%20gender%20and%20access%20to%20health%20services%20study.pdf
93. Cancer Research UK, Cervical cancer risk factors http://info.cancerresearchuk.org/cancerstats/types/cervix/riskfactors/ Accessed:
13/04/13
94. Cancer Research UK, Breast cancer survival statistics http://info.cancerresearchuk.org/cancerstats/types/breast/%20survival/ Accessed:
13/04/13
95. Davey. C., Austoker, J. and Macleod, U. (1999) Reducing Inequalities in Breast Cancer: A guide for primary care. The Cancer Research
Campaign http://books.google.co.uk/books/about/Reducing_Inequalities_in_Breast_Cancer.html?id=8BM4AAAACAAJ&redir_esc=y
96. Breast Cancer Care, Breast cancer facts and statistics http://www.breastcancercare.org.uk/news/media-centre/facts-statistics Accessed:
13/04/13
97. Cancer Research UK, Breast cancer statistics http://info.cancerresearchuk.org/cancerstats/types/breast/ Accessed: 13/04/13
98. British Heart Foundation (2010) Factfile for GPs about Women and Heart Disease http://www.bhf.org.uk/publications/view-publication.
aspx?ps=1001365
99. Department of Health (2008) The Gender and Access to Health Services Study: Final Report http://www.sfh-tr.nhs.uk/attachments/
article/41/The%20gender%20and%20access%20to%20health%20services%20study.pdf
100. British Heart Foundation (2010) Factfile for GPs about Women and Heart Disease http://www.bhf.org.uk/publications/view-publication.
aspx?ps=1001365
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