Women’s equality in the UK – A health check

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12.43 12.44 12.45 12.46 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
12.47 12.48 12.49 12.50 they are at risk from STIs. 110 Women who exclusively have sex with other women are also often needlessly advised about contraception showing a lack of understanding about their needs. 111 Case study: 112 “I am appalled at how little sexual healthcare advice and support there is for lesbians. I recently had a check and had no idea I could contract so many STDs [sexually transmitted diseases] through lesbian sex. There is little education and support for lesbians.” Young women who were born with HIV have high rates of unwanted pregnancies and terminations which are reflective of how their sexual and reproductive health and rights are not met in current services. 113 (See Appendix: 24) Abortion provision The Government still refuses to support the legalisation of abortion provision in Northern Ireland to ensure that women are entitled to safe and legal abortion on equal basis with women living in other parts of the UK. This is despite the 2008 recommendations to initiate a process of public consultation in Northern Ireland on the abortion law and give consideration to the amendment of the abortion law in Northern Ireland so as to remove punitive provisions imposed on women who undergo abortion, 114 as well as a recommendation on this during the 2012 UPR process. Abortion legislation in England, Scotland and Wales has always been interpreted broadly, allowing clinicians to exercise discretion and take social environment into account when certifying abortion. However, problems with the current legal framework exist, which leave abortion services and those who provide them vulnerable to political interference and shifting interpretation. Recent incidents 115 and their response 116 have caused widespread unease among doctors providing abortion services; lack of clarity now exists around what is deemed ‘legal’ and ‘illegal’ and good and bad practice in abortion care. As a result, treatment is being delayed while paperwork handling is examined and doctors apply increased scrutiny to patients’ reasons for requesting abortion. 117 These cases highlight the need for reform of the Abortion Act 1967 118 and full decriminalisation of abortion across the UK. Such reform would eliminate uncertainty around interpretation, protect clinicians from prosecution and would facilitate specific changes in practice as recommended by the House of Commons Science and Technology Select Committee in 2007 110. Hunt, R. and Dr. Fish, J. (2008) Prescription for Change: Lesbian and bisexual women’s health check. Stonewall: London http://www. stonewall.org.uk/documents/prescription_for_change.pdf 111. Women’s Resource Centre (2010) In All Our Colours: Lesbian, bisexual and trans women’s services in the UK. Briefing 10: LBT women and health. WRC: London 112. Hunt, R. and Dr. Fish, J. (2008) Prescription for Change: Lesbian and bisexual women’s health check. Stonewall: London http://www. stonewall.org.uk/documents/prescription_for_change.pdf 113. Kenny, J. et al. (2011)‘Pregnancy outcomes in adolescents in the UK and Ireland growing up with HIV’, HIV Medicine, December 2011 http:// www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22136754 114. 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 42 115. Newell, C. (2012) ‘Abortion investigation: Doctors filmed agreeing illegal abortions ‘no questions asked’’, The Daily Telegraph, 22nd March 2012 http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/9099511/Abortion-investigation-doctors-filmed-agreeing-illegal-abortions-noquestions-asked.html and Care Quality Commission (2012) ‘Findings of termination of pregnancy inspections published’, CQC website, 12th July 2012 http://www.cqc.org.uk/media/findings-termination-pregnancy-inspections-published 116. Sheldon, S. (2012) ‘Abortion for reasons of sex: Correcting some basic misunderstandings of the law’, Abortion Review, 1st March 2012 http://www.abortionreview.org/index.php/site/article/1143/ 117. Bristow, J. (2012) ‘British abortion law: Challenging current myths and misconceptions’, Abortion Review, 3rd July 2012, http://www. abortionreview.org/index.php/site/article/1196/ 118. Abortion Act 1967 http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1967/87/contents Women’s equality in the UK: CEDAW shadow report 2013 123
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Women’s equality in the UK - A he
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Women’s equality in the UK - A he
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Appendices (online only) Appendix 1
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• the continued discrimination ag
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• Develop a common model of analy
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Article 9 - Nationality: One third
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investment in social infrastructure
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and increase the marginalisation of
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have been no prosecutions in Englan
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1 2 3 4 5 Introduction This is a Un
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10 11 12 13 housing crisis, a ‘lo
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1.1 1.2 1.3 Article 1 - Overarching
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1.7 1.8 1.9 1.10 1.11 1.12 Women’
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1.17 1.18 1.19 Young women We are a
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2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 consult to “remov
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2.12 2.13 discrimination”. Howeve
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2.17 2.18 2.19 2.20 2.21 worsen gen
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2.26 2.27 2.28 2.29 CEDAW and the l
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3.7 3.8 3.9 3.10 would “increase
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3.15 3.16 3.17 and accountable EHRC
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3.22 3.23 3.24 report is was partic
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classes, migrants, and Gypsy, Trave
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the institutional discrimination an
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5.5 5.6 5.7 Case study: 8 Sandra li
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5.12 5.13 5.14 issue. A more approp
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6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 Article 6 - Exploit
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6.9 6.10 6.11 to the protection and
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6.15 6.16 6.17 6.18 Office’s own
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6.24 6.25 6.26 women and increase t
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6.31 6.32 6.33 6.34 infrequent lap
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7.1 7.2 Article 7 - Political and p
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7.7 7.8 7.9 7.10 The House of Lords
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7.13 7.14 7.15 7.16 7.17 Recommenda
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7.21 7.22 7.23 Political representa
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9.1 9.2 9.3 9.4 9.5 9.6 9.7 Article
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Page 105 and 106: 11.31 11.32 11.33 Introducing more
Page 107 and 108: 11.37 11.38 Case study: 83 Jasmine
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Page 111 and 112: 12.3 12.4 12.5 12.6 of women and en
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19.13 19.14 19.15 19.16 The Governm
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19.22 19.23 19.24 19.25 VAWG is a c
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19.30 19.31 19.32 19.33 DV is still
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19.38 19.39 19.40 perpetrators thro
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19.43 19.44 19.45 Support for victi
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19.49 19.50 19.51 19.52 Recommendat
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19.57 19.58 19.59 19.60 BMER VAWG p
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19.62 19.63 19.64 19.65 VAWG in hea
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19.70 19.71 19.72 Invisibility of s
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19.77 19.78 19.79 A number of repor
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19.85 19.86 means more provision. T
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Annex 1: The Devolved Administratio
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to 41.8% of rural men. 16 Rural are
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Annex 2: The UK’s relationship wi
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Annex 3: UK reservations and declar
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ESA - Employment and Support Allowa
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Annex 5: Acknowledgements Many than
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Women’s Resource Centre is suppor
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