Women’s equality in the UK – A health check

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Women and diabetes and obesity
More men than women suffer from diabetes in England, but women are at relatively greater risk
of dying from it than men. This may be because gender compounds other inequalities, such as
poverty and socio-economic differences, which are linked to differences in smoking rates, food
choices and the prevalence of obesity. 101 Women are more likely than men to become morbidly
obese but are more likely to take part in private sector weight loss programmes and more likely
to be treated for being overweight in primary care. 102 However, women are less likely to receive
routine surveillance checks for the long-term complications of diabetes. Pre-menopausal
women with diabetes do not have the same protection against coronary heart disease as
women who do not have diabetes. Women also tend to take on the main role of carer if another
member of the family has diabetes. 103
Raising awareness of sexual health among young people
Since the publication of the national Sexual Health and HIV Strategy in 2001, 104 there have been
major improvements in sexual health provision nationally, and a shift towards a more integrated
and holistic approach to sexual health. Nevertheless, there are significant continuing problems
and inequalities within sexual health and women and girls in the UK are more likely to have poor
sexual health than their European counterparts. 105 The lack of a compulsory PSHE curriculum
(See Article 10) also means that not all young people are getting the same information about
sexual health despite the 2008 recommendations to widely promote sex education targeted
at adolescent girls and boys as well as increase the availability and affordability of sexual
and reproductive health services, and increase knowledge of, and access to, affordable
contraceptive methods. 106
With the exception of gonorrhoea, incidence rates of all sexually transmitted infections are
rising, with the increase being greater in women than men. 107 However, sexual health services
are facing cuts leading to a lack of contraceptive and sexual health advice for young women
under 25 years. 108 There are fears that this will lead to a higher conception rate and more
sexually transmitted diseases with women not knowing about the risks and not being able
to access services.
In relation to vulnerable migrant women inequalities within sexual health include high rates of
abortion within some minority communities and high rates of Sexually Transmitted Infections
(STIs) among Black African and Black Caribbean populations. 109 It has also been found that
less than half of LB women have ever been screened for STIs and three quarters do not think
101. Department of Health, Who gets diabetes - health inequalities http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/+/www.dh.gov.uk/en/
Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/Browsable/DH_4899972 Accessed: 13/04/13
102. 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
103. Department of Health, Who gets diabetes - health inequalities http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/+/www.dh.gov.uk/en/
Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/Browsable/DH_4899972 Accessed: 13/04/13
104. Department of Health (2001) Sexual Health and HIV Strategy. DoH: London http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/+/www.dh.gov.uk/
en/Publichealth/Healthimprovement/Sexualhealth/Sexualhealthgeneralinformation/DH_4002168
105. Platform 51, Health and wellbeing http://www.platform51.org/whatwedo/health Accessed on 13/04/2013
106. CEDAW Committee (2008) Concluding observations of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women: United
Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Forty-first session http://daccess-dds-ny.un.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/N09/555/92/PDF/
N0955592.pdf?OpenElement Para 42
107. 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
108. Williams, R. (2012) ‘Sexual health services hit by cuts’, The Guardian, 23rd April 2012 http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2012/apr/23/
sexual-health-services-cuts
109. Maternity Action (2012) Guidance for Commissioning Health Services for Vulnerable Migrant Women. WHEC: London http://www.
maternityaction.org.uk/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderfiles/guidancecommissioninghealthservvulnmigrantwomen2012.pdf
122 Women’s equality in the UK: CEDAW shadow report 2013