The Time Is Now for Women and Girls in STEM

Newsweek

2 days ago

Women's health continues to be at risk.
This is not news. Women have been excluded and underrepresented in the research and decision-making that shape health care. Their voices, ideas, and leadership are not only overdue, but they are also essential to closing the gaps that continue to put women's lives at risk.
Women's health receives less funding for research and treatment than men—at a staggering rate. According to the World Economic Forum, only 1 percent of funding for innovation and research outside of oncology in 2020 went to female-specific conditions. Our concerns are often dismissed by physicians or considered taboo to discuss socially. In a 2022 Kaiser Family Fund Women's Health Survey, 29 percent of women who had seen a health care provider in the prior two years said their doctor had dismissed their concerns, 15 percent said their provider did not believe them, and 13 percent said their provider had suggested they were personally to blame.
Photograph of Dr. Karidia Diallo working in a laboratory with an ABI DNA Analyzer machine wearing protective gear, placing samples of DNA with HIV from PEPFAR (countries from the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief)...
Photograph of Dr. Karidia Diallo working in a laboratory with an ABI DNA Analyzer machine wearing protective gear, placing samples of DNA with HIV from PEPFAR (countries from the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief) persons, in order to test their resistance to medications, in 2007. More
Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images
But it doesn't have to be that way. Increasingly, women are taking a stand, breaking down societal norms that have been in place for decades and approaching health and wellness in a holistic way. Here's how you can help.
Get Loud About the Things That Have Previously Made People Uncomfortable.
Women spend more than a third of their lives in some state of menopause (peri- or post-) with symptoms ranging from sleep issues and mood changes to hot flashes and weight gain, and yet only a fraction seek treatment. According to the Mayo Clinic, this lack of treatment (stemming from lack of research and awareness), has serious economic implications; the U.S. economy loses approximately $1.8 billion annually due to lost work time related to menopausal symptoms, with total costs, including medical expenses, reaching $26.6 billion.
The same is true for women during childbearing years. One in four pregnancies end in miscarriage, and 1 in 8 women will need fertility treatment at some point in their lives; yet the topics are rarely discussed.
But the tide is changing, and both issues are reaching mainstream conversation due in part to celebrities willing to share their own personal experiences (think: Naomi Watts and her recently released book, or Meghan Markle and her op-ed penned for The New York Times), and companies like Alloy, Joylux, and Maven Clinic.
Examine Longevity From a 360 Perspective.
We all want to live longer, better—and it's time for us to expand our perceptions of what that means. Longevity is no longer just about annual checkups, treating illness, eating well, exercising, and sleeping enough. It now includes a more holistic view of health. This shift is especially relevant for women who have longer life expectancies than men, and who are—according to research—more open to holistic and alternative treatments.
Research continues to show that well-being and self-perception are just as critical to longevity as other factors. Merz Aesthetics' recently released, Pillars of Confidence: Global Insights on Aesthetics and Self-Affirmation, reinforces this connection, revealing 74 percent of respondents say confidence is essential to overall well-being. The first-of-its-kind study surveyed 15,000 adults from around the world to establish an industry-first connection between our outward appearance, inner self-concept, and overall well-being. The company is also spearheading regenerative aesthetics in a unique and holistic way by investing in products and devices that work with the body's own capabilities to restore, maintain, and enhance skin health at a cellular level.
Other areas of focus are neuroplasticity leading to focus in neurotechnology as we look toward brain health and cognitive enhancement, joint treatments through regenerative technologies like platelet rich plasma therapy, and the overarching concept of biohacking. Living longer with a better quality of life is the ultimate—and attainable—goal.
Empower More Women in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics).
It should go without saying that if we want change, we need to start from within.
While we have made progress on the issue—with women now making up half of all medical school students—we still have a long way to go. Women make up only one-third of all practicing physicians, and the pay gap is staggering, with women earning an estimated $2 million less than their male counterparts over a 40-year career. When you consider the statistic that the prognosis for patients seeing a female doctor is far better than those who see male doctor, with both a lower mortality and chance of hospital readmission—it's shocking we haven't already implemented these changes.
Support organizations like the American Medical Women's Association or Women in Medicine, advocate for pay transparency, reach out to your policymakers demanding change, and encourage the girls in your life with interest in STEM to pursue careers in the field.
We need them now more than ever.
Terri L. Phillips, MD, FAAP, has been chief medical affairs officer at Merz Aesthetics for over five years.
The views expressed in this article are the writer's own.