New research from Irish Life Health, carried out amongst women aged 18 and over, revealed insights into perceptions of female healthcare in Ireland. As revealed in the research, over half (51%) of women in Ireland are worried about a female health issue at every stage of their life. This relates to concerns around contraception, fertility and infertility, menstrual issues; as well as perimenopause and menopause.

The research also revealed that more than one in two women (52%) think female healthcare is not well serviced in Ireland and 38% of respondents are finding it difficult to get fast access to specialist female health expertise.

The main concerns among different age groups of women in Ireland:

  • Four in ten 18-24-year-olds in Ireland are worried about menstruation issues
  • Four in ten 25-34-year-olds are worried about fertility issues
  • Almost half of 35-54-year-olds are worried about perimenopause or menopause

While the research shows there are significant levels of concern about female health issues, the responses demonstrate confidence in taking action. 89% of women believe they know their body better than anyone, and more than 8 in 10 women are eager to understand more about their health.

Irish Life Health announced a new first-of-its-kind female health GP consultation benefit dedicated to meeting the demand for more specialised health services for women.

The new Female Health Consultation offers members access to GPs who specialise in female health, for support and advice in the areas of menstrual health, fertility, contraception, perimenopause and menopause, amongst others.

Dr Maire Finn, one of the specialist GPs delivering this service for Irish Life Health, comments: “These statistics are not surprising to me as a GP as every day in my practice I hear women’s concerns about their menstrual cycle, their fertility, menopause, and the impact these issues have on their everyday lives. This research tells us that women feel they know their bodies but equally want to know more about health matters that relate specifically to them. It shows that there is work to be done to provide more specialised care in the area of women’s health. This new female health service that Irish Life Health is launching, is a timely and important step in providing the specialised care and information that all women need and want.”

Other key findings from the research include:

  • Only half of women (51%) feel like they truly understand their menstrual cycle
  • 62% of women get their health information from family and friends, while 59% source their information through social media and online platforms.

At Cornmarket, we believe women’s health shouldn’t be ignored and are thrilled to see Health Insurance providers stepping up with female-focused benefits included in many of their plans. We compare the market (VHI, Laya & Irish Life Health) to find plans with these great benefits & try to save you money in the process.

Call 0818 601 601 today if you want to discuss these plans further, or click here for more about our Health Insurance Comparison service.

 

 

Research conducted by Red C in July 2023, featuring a panel of 500+ female representatives aged 18+

The information contained in this article is from https://www.irishlifehealth.ie/blog/irish_life_female_health_blog . Source, Irish life Health, 2023. Cornmarket cannot be held responsible for content contained on external websites.