Government Women’s Reproductive Health Survey excludes responses from women over 55

[borntobequiet]

There is a Government survey out on women’s reproductive health. Great! About time.
Unfortunately, it only invites responses from women aged 16-55, thereby excluding many women who have not yet reached menopause - many women menstruate through their late 50s and into their 60s - and who have extensive lived experience of every phase of their reproductive lives, including conception in different forms, childbirth and its difficulties, balancing work and their reproductive health, the menopause and HRT.

AIBU to think that excluding women over 55 is both demeaning to and dismissive of them and their experience, and undermines the usefulness of the survey itself?

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/landmark-survey-seeks-womens-views-on-reproductive-health#:~:text=The%20Women%27s%20Reproductive%20Health%20Survey%20provides%20an%20opportunity%20to%20better,from%20Thursday%207%20September%202023.

This is ridiculous. I didn't start having heavily involvement with a gynaecology consultant and gynae surgeon till I was 56, not least because I'd been on the waiting list for two years.

At 56-57 my FSH tested at 13! I was having heavy periods from fibroids, still 'only a bit peri-menopausal', heading for surgery ... I'm still having treatment now at 60.

But they don't want my views? Fuck them.

I suppose I could 'identify' as 55 for the day. A have a lot of views about women's reproductive health in this country - for myself, my daughter, and my DiLs.

How bizarre to have that as the cut off!

Where is this survey-is it sent out by post?

I suppose it depends on what the survey was about. If it was quite a narrow survey on women's recent experiences if trying to conceive, being pregnant, and giving birth, then 55 is quite a high cutoff. There can't be many women reproducing over 50. If it was about gynaecological health more generally then obviously having a cutoff at all is daft.

I've just looked at it. I have quite a lengthy gynae history but the questions are mostly about your experiences in the last 12 months unless they relate to pregnancy. Delays in investigating and diagnosing gynae problems are long standing but they don't seem interested in that.

Delays in investigating and diagnosing gynae problems are long standing but they don't seem interested in that

Well if they exclude a group that's likely going to provide data about negative experiences, it minimises the problem doesn't it.

There are several people named in the link. I'm sure their contact details can be found by googling, so it sounds like a good idea to let them know why you think they shouldn't have excluded you from the survey. Plus also share the survey amongst younger women you know and ask them to contribute.

I'd also add that the window seems short and ask where the survey has been publicised? If they really wanted a wide range of views, they could have asked over a longer period of time and asked all GPs to email/text their female patients with a link.

I'd never heard of it but will try and complete it and if there's a chance, comment that the lack of inclusion of over 55s seems like an oversight.

Was this designed by a man?

Where is the actual survey? Is there a different link for it or am I missing something.

They also excluded girls 9-15 who may be experiencing periods too.

Is this specific survey necessary, important or unique way to express needs & wants ? I'll wager the results will have minimal impact on anything. There are other channels and ways to campaign that are better.

The survey is available online still (despite closing date of 7 Sept) and you can fill it in now if you like.

Just put something in the open text at end area about your actual age.

From questions, I mean, it's just a prevalence survey. It keeps asking if I missed time of work (no no no). Quite funny. I wonder how it will be interpettted. I don't want to flipping talk to my line manager about my physical health. They wouldn't care, but i have a choice not to discuss with them, which I choose to take.

Survey:

...?

https://www.lshtm.ac.uk/newsevents/expert-opinion/its-high-time-we-end-taboo-and-make-womens-health-priority

Here

https://online1.snapsurveys.com/interview/3e9e0d85-378d-40dd-a701-f353e02fbac1

I guess they want to find out how the system is working or not working now. My experience of having a EMCS twenty years ago is neither here nor there. The brief is "menstrual health, contraception, pregnancy planning and menopause", and reproduction does seem to be the main focus.

However, having done it (I'm 54), there is a small batch of questions about general gynaecological health at the end which would be relevant to older women.

7th September was the start date not the end date - the end date is some time in October I think.

The question which I thought would be really interesting was the contraception type used, and the "do you still want more children" question . That's really useable data if you can get a big enough sample.

ah... here I am, evidence of people who don't read properly.

Did anyone else like the peri-menopuase typo ?

I'll send it to as many of my lots (DDs, DiLs) as I can. There's no way they'd come across that survey otherwise.

Here’s a link
https://online1.snapsurveys.com/interview/3e9e0d85-378d-40dd-a701-f353e02fbac1

From the Gov. site:

Women should always have a say in their own healthcare, whether that’s in managing pregnancy and fertility or dealing with the challenges of the menopause in the workplace.

So it includes menopause/peri menopause.