Mind the (Health) Gap
Tina Ye |
TEDxQueensUniversityBelfast
• February 2021
Have you ever wondered why there exists a plethora of medication to treat for erectile dysfunction, but none for dysmenorrhea (extreme period cramps), other than generic painkiller meds? Or, there could be the possibility that symptoms for acute and chronic illnesses manifest in different ways for men and women, but we are all diagnosed with one standard checklist?
This talk addresses the Health Gap that’s currently hidden from dominant social discourse when talking about gender inequality. Healthcare has an unspoken history of overlooking sex and gender differences in medical research. From lack of funding for women-specific research projects, to the deliberate exclusion of women participants in clinical trials because “female hormones are harder to control for”, to, ultimately, the faulty standardization of symptoms based on biased research criteria. Women are systematically denied a healthy body. This puts into doubt the validity of many medical interventions, diagnosis, and treatments. This talk is aimed to bring awareness to this health gap and open up the dialogue for discussion and accountability.