A New Era of Women’s Health
Up until the 1990s, women were often excluded from clinical drug trials, with the rationale that their hormone cycles would make it difficult to achieve “clean” data. This assumption led to serious gaps in understanding how drugs and treatments affect women. Medications, for instance, were often tested on men, meaning that women’s different body compositions, hormone fluctuations, and metabolic rates were not factored into how treatments would work.
For much of history, women’s health has been largely overlooked or misunderstood within the medical community. The majority of health research, diagnoses, and treatments were centered around men’s bodies, often treating women as smaller versions of men rather than as individuals with unique biological and hormonal differences. This neglect has had profound consequences, from inadequate postpartum care to the widespread lack of understanding surrounding menopause.
However, a new movement is emerging—one that advocates for better support, research, and care for women’s specific health needs. From a renewed focus on postpartum health to a growing recognition of the importance of menopausal care, this shift is beginning to transform women’s health and well-being for the better.
The Overlooked History of Women’s Health
Historically, the medical field has been dominated by men, and as a result, the unique health needs of women were often dismissed or treated with skepticism. Until the 20th century, women were rarely included in clinical trials, leading to a lack of research on how diseases, treatments, and medications affect women differently from men.
Women as "Hysterical" Patients
For centuries, women’s health concerns were frequently dismissed as psychological rather than physiological. The term “hysteria,” derived from the Greek word for uterus, was often used to describe a wide range of women’s symptoms, from anxiety to chronic pain. This led to a dangerous disregard for women’s experiences and symptoms, particularly in areas like reproductive health.
In the 19th century, many women were diagnosed with “hysteria” or “nervousness,” leading to a lack of proper medical treatment for issues like postpartum depression, menstrual disorders, or even heart disease—conditions often dismissed as emotional or psychological problems.
Male-Centric Medical Research
Up until the 1990s, women were often excluded from clinical drug trials, with the rationale that their hormone cycles would make it difficult to achieve “clean” data. This assumption led to serious gaps in understanding how drugs and treatments affect women. Medications, for instance, were often tested on men, meaning that women’s different body compositions, hormone fluctuations, and metabolic rates were not factored into how treatments would work.
This male-centric approach extended beyond drugs to conditions like heart disease, where symptoms in women can differ from men. As a result, many women with heart disease were underdiagnosed or misdiagnosed for decades.
Reproductive and Maternal Health Neglect
Reproductive health, despite being central to women’s lives, has historically been ignored or underfunded in medical research. In particular, postpartum care has been significantly neglected. For many years, childbirth was viewed as a routine event, and women were often sent home with little support or guidance. Postpartum depression, anxiety, and physical complications were rarely discussed or addressed.
Similarly, menopause—an inevitable phase in every woman’s life—was largely ignored by the medical community. Menopausal symptoms such as hot flashes, mood changes, and bone loss were treated as minor inconveniences rather than significant health issues deserving of medical attention.
The New Movement: Advocating for Women’s Health
In recent decades, there has been a growing recognition that women’s health requires dedicated research, care, and support that takes into account the distinct needs of women. This shift is being driven by patient advocacy groups, women’s health researchers, and medical professionals who are pushing for greater awareness, better treatments, and more personalized care for women.
Postpartum Care
One of the most significant shifts in women’s health is the renewed focus on postpartum care. For many years, women were left to navigate the physical, emotional, and psychological challenges of the postpartum period on their own, often with little to no support from healthcare providers. However, we now know that postpartum health plays a crucial role in a woman’s long-term well-being.
Postpartum Depression: Approximately 1 in 7 women experience severe postpartum depression, yet for decades, there was little support for mothers struggling with this condition. Now, there is a growing understanding that postpartum depression and anxiety are serious health issues that require both mental health care and physical support. Efforts are underway to screen for and treat postpartum depression more effectively and to provide better resources for new mothers.
Physical Recovery: The postpartum period is also a time of significant physical recovery, yet many women are unaware of the long-term impact childbirth can have on their bodies. Conditions like pelvic floor dysfunction, diastasis recti (abdominal muscle separation), and breastfeeding challenges are becoming more recognized and treated through physical therapy and specialized care.
Menopausal Care
Menopause, once viewed as a silent, natural transition that required little medical attention, is now being recognized as a crucial stage in a woman’s health journey. As more women live longer, healthier lives, understanding menopause and its effects has become an important focus of women’s health research.
Menopausal Symptoms: The hormonal changes that occur during menopause can lead to a range of symptoms, from mood swings and hot flashes to sleep disturbances and osteoporosis. Rather than dismissing these symptoms as inevitable, more healthcare providers are now offering hormone replacement therapy (HRT), lifestyle advice, and specialized treatments to help women manage their symptoms.
Bone Health and Heart Disease: The drop in estrogen levels during menopause can significantly impact bone health and increase the risk of heart disease. By paying closer attention to these risks, healthcare providers are now focusing on preventive care, such as bone density screenings and heart health assessments, to ensure women receive the care they need as they age.
Holistic Approach to Women’s Health
The movement toward better women’s health is also marked by a more holistic approach that goes beyond reproductive and hormonal health. This includes addressing the mental, emotional, and social factors that contribute to women’s overall well-being.
Mental Health: Women are more likely than men to experience mental health conditions such as anxiety and depression. As a result, there is a growing emphasis on integrating mental health care into women’s health services, particularly during times of transition, such as pregnancy, postpartum, and menopause.
Personalized Medicine: Women’s bodies are unique, and the growing field of personalized medicine aims to tailor healthcare treatments to individual needs. This approach considers a woman’s genetic makeup, lifestyle, and hormonal fluctuations, ensuring that treatments are more effective and less harmful.
Conclusion: A New Era of Women’s Health
The history of women’s health may be one of oversight and neglect, but the future is brighter. With a growing movement advocating for women’s unique health needs—from postpartum care to menopausal health—women are finally receiving the attention, research, and support they deserve. By recognizing the importance of these stages in a woman’s life and treating them with the care they warrant, we are not only improving women’s health outcomes but also empowering women to live healthier, more fulfilling lives. The new era of women’s health is one where women’s voices are heard, their bodies are understood, and their well-being is prioritized.
-Kaci Smith, LMFT
I am a licensed psychotherapist and mom in California. I am passionate about bringing women together through mutually empathic relationships that foster healing and growth. I run online women’s therapy groups year round.