Experts will discuss the policy & scientific gaps which have left women behind and the efforts underway to ensure that women can make informed choices and, crucially, that real choices are available to them.
Women have a right to the highest attainable standard of health, which serves as a key enabler for their participation in the social and economic life of their communities. Unfortunately, for far too many women around the world, quality healthcare remains out of reach. This is particularly true in the area of hormonal health. Moreover, many doctors struggle to diagnose and treat the underlying disorders behind their symptoms. Decades of underinvestment and lack of research have left many healthcare providers reliant on hormonal birth control as the primary treatment for endocrine and reproductive issues. This approach may alleviate some discomfort but fails to restore healthy hormonal activity, leaving the underlying causes untreated, and may have harmful side effects, including for future fertility. Some healthcare providers have been working to address this need, relying not on hormonal suppression but innovative research to make differential diagnoses and offer targeted treatments. One such organization is Fertility Education & Medical Management (FEMM). In partnership with the Reproductive Health Research Institute (RHRI), it has developed innovative diagnostic protocols which use existing tools such as lab tests, symptom tracking, and imaging to provide differential diagnoses and more targeted treatments to restore health, available to healthcare providers through continuing medical education programs.
