The women too busy to look after their health: Charity warns that parents are putting work and family ahead of seeing the doctor
- Ovarian Cancer Action says women suppress worries due to commitments
- Survey of 2,000 found they think that 'family is more important' than health
- More than a third said concerns dismissed when they went to see doctor
Women are putting their health on hold because they are too busy to go to their GP, polling suggests.
And when they do go to the doctor, a third of women say their concerns are dismissed.
The charity Ovarian Cancer Action, which commissioned the poll, says that too often women suppress their health concerns.
The charity Ovarian Cancer Action, which commissioned the poll, says that too often women suppress their health concerns, feeling that family and work commitments are more important. File picture
The organisation is also concerned that women do not stand their ground and speak up about their worries when rebuffed by health professionals.
According to a survey of 2,000 British women, more than quarter say they prioritise work over going to see a doctor and more than a third say looking after their family is more important.
Ovarian cancer is the fifth most common cancer among British women, with 7,100 diagnosed each year.
Some 50 per cent of women survive for at least five years after they receive a diagnosis - but survival is dependent on spotting the disease early and getting quick treatment.
More than a third of participants said their concerns were dismissed by doctors when they did speak up about their health.
Physical problems were the most often dismissed, with 36 per cent of women saying they’d not felt a doctor had listened when discussing a problem.
Some 30 per cent said mental health concerns were dismissed and 27 per cent said sexual health worries were not taken seriously.
More than a third of the women who took part reported finding it difficult to speak to a doctor.
More than a third of participants said their concerns were dismissed by doctors when they did speak up about their health concerns. File picture
Of those, 55 per cent said they were too embarrassed, 35 per cent said they were not taken seriously, and 26 per cent said they were not understood.
Even after visiting a doctor, almost one in five women said they would doubt their instincts if a doctor contradicted them and more than 10 per cent said they’d accept a diagnosis without question.
The charity has launched a new campaign, ‘Speak Up, Listen Up!’, to encourage women to listen to their bodies and make sure their concerns are not dismissed.
Katherine Taylor, chief executive of Ovarian Cancer Action, said: ‘The reluctance for women to seek help and speak up about health issues is really worrying but it’s not hard to understand.
‘From being too busy or feeling too shy, to prioritising the needs of our families or our jobs – every woman is different and there are myriad reasons that health issues may not take precedence in the busy lives we lead.
‘However, in diseases like ovarian cancer – in which symptoms can be vague and diagnosis is tricky – we, as women, need to listen to our bodies, keep a close eye on our health and be persistent with doctors if we think something is wrong.
‘We need to spread awareness of ovarian cancer symptoms far and wide. We need to encourage women to feel empowered to speak up, and be persistent. And we need to ensure women are heard by asking doctors to “think ovarian cancer”.’
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