A Women's Health State of the Union
What I heard from women in 2024 about their healthcare and what we can do about it...
If you’re part of the 80% of women in the country who have struggled with a hormone imbalance at some point in your adult reproductive years, I want you to know that you are not alone, and I hope you may find this publication helpful.
For many women, it can be a long and arduous road to figure out what is going on with their body/hormones and to find the medical support needed to address the underlying issue. Our medical system has missed the mark when it comes to educating women on their basic physiology, training doctors in topics of women’s hormones, cycles, and nutrition, and treating hormonal imbalances at their root.
I’m Leanne — a fertility awareness educator and hormone coach on a mission to rewrite the women’s health narrative in the U.S. starting with education of female physiology and hormones. In this RoseFem publication, I hope to speak to important topics in women’s health: our bodies, our fertility, and building a community that advocates for true women’s health across the lifespan.
Here, I share stats and stories that reveal the current state of our women’s health system and present a vision for an optimistic future for all women that starts with re-establishing the fundamentals of how we approach women’s healthcare.
The research speaks for itself….
According to the CDC, 46.9 million women aged 15–49 use hormonal contraception, and an estimated 46% of those change their birth control due to dissatisfaction. Only 30-40% of women are aware of their most fertile days and have an in-depth understanding of how their cycle influences conception. Conditions like endometriosis and PCOS both affect at least 1 in 10 women, while up to 70% of PCOS cases go undiagnosed.
The U.S. has one of the highest C-section rates in the world, 1 in 3 births, and since the early 1970s, the likelihood of a mother undergoing a cesarean in the United States has skyrocketed by 500%. Our support of mothers after birth is deplorable, with minimal and unguaranteed maternity leave and postpartum care that ends with a 6 week check-up. According to a 2019 survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF), only 25% of employers offer paid parental leave “to at least some employees”. The gaps in women’s health span the reproductive continuum, from puberty to menopause, and beyond.
recently shed light on the unregulated egg donor industry, highlighting the exploitative, unethical, and potentially medically dangerous and psychologically distressing nature of a $400 million industry that monetarily incentivizes the extraction of eggs from women’s bodies — a procedure that requires hormone injections and poses often undisclosed side effects and health risks, including infertility, autoimmune diseases, and premature menopause. Egg donor agencies frequently target college-aged young women, who, driven by financial incentive to donate, may only later realize the true cost of handing over their DNA: the long-term suffering endured from not knowing if they have children born from their eggs, who these children are, and whether they will ever meet them.Today, Breeding, who has no children of her own, is struggling with her own compromised fertility. She is facing a hysterectomy because of severe endometriosis and adenomyosis, debilitating conditions in which endometrial tissue grows where it shouldn’t. She’s in chronic pain during exercise, ovulation, and sex.
Breeding’s doctors believe this is the result of donating her eggs, which required pumping her body with sky-high levels of estrogen. Believe is the key word here, as they can’t quite confirm it. There is little research on the long-term medical consequences of egg donation.
Source: The Free Press
When we physically separate a woman from her God-given fertility, there are physical, societal, and psychological consequences.
Are we actually advancing health?
This last year, the White House Initiative on Women’s Health Research, allocated $110 million for transformative research and development in women’s health. National Institutes of Health launched a new agency-wide effort to invest $200 million for new, interdisciplinary women’s health research and the Department of Defense committed to spend $500 million on vital women’s health research, and the incoming administration has already shown a commitment to prioritizing health reform efforts.
But can we trust that these research efforts are leading us in an advantageous direction? Last month, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists suggested on X that women might consider skipping our period during the holidays with the help of birth control, essentially proclaiming to women that we should turn off being a healthy, functioning adult female for the sake of holiday convenience. To me, alarms should sound when the leading national consortium of OB/GYNs in the country, with over 60,000 member doctors, has clearly missed the mark on health recommendations for women — a healthy physiological process that drives hormonal and overall health should NOT be shut down for the sake of holiday convenience.
While research and policy have the potential to drive important advancements to women’s health — i.e. reduce maternal morbidities, improve understanding of menopause, guide research for treatment of conditions such as PCOS and endometriosis — if our medical experts are lacking consensus on what is good medicine for women, I have concern that these advancements will ultimately hurt women.
What I heard from women…
In 2024, I surveyed and interviewed over 100 women to gain a broad perspective of the pain points experienced in the medical system. What I heard from women is consistent with broader statistics, such as a 2019 study which found that one in five women felt that a health care provider had ignored or dismissed their symptoms.
Below, I share some of the notable sentiments from among the women I spoke to, to let you know that 1. you are not alone if you have experienced subpar medical care or struggled in your reproductive health in some way 2. our collective voices have the power to demand better care and support one another towards a revolutionized experience of health, and 3. to give hope that there are great doctors, organizations and women’s health specialists out there who can support you in every stage of your reproductive needs.
Of the women who shared their health experiences with me, here are five notable quotes:
“Oftentimes women feel like a burden for wanting to be heard for health issues specific to women. Getting basic care feels like having to jump through hoops and put puzzle pieces together. Women’s health needs are severely generalized and overlooked.”
“Last year I had a variety of health problems which were hard to diagnose since my labs came back mostly normal. Part of that included a visit to the gynecologist, who told me the only solution to my symptoms was to take birth control (I had lost my period at the time.) My period did come back eventually and is now somewhat regular, so I didn't push the issue further, but I was still upset that the doctor didn't recommend any other options, even when I asked for alternatives.”
“It can seem like the answer is always another medication. It would be nice for there to be a different approach.”
“I’ve been continually frustrated by not receiving answers or diagnoses from my doctors because even after they order lab work, there is little follow up or communication. I would love to see better integration between the medical side of things (diagnosis, blood tests, etc) and help with nutrition/lifestyle practicals to address my health concerns.”
“I can not say enough about how grateful I am for medical professionals who are dedicated to identifying and successfully treating underlying health issues for women, therefore restoring her health rather than taking a “bandaid” approach. Under conventional care, the only help I was offered for irregular cycles was hormonal birth control. It wasn’t until my late 20’s that I was able to meet with a doctor committed to restorative reproductive healthcare who immediately ordered labs and imaging that showed I was dealing with several imbalances and conditions, including PCOS. Since PCOS is linked to long-term, serious health conditions, my doctor empowered me by offering medical treatment, education, and support through referrals to a nutritionist and physical therapist. I am confident that this has changed the trajectory of my health for the future.”
Re-establishing the fundamentals…
Our approach to women's health has faltered, due at least in part to a lack of clear guiding principles. Focusing solely on reproductive rights and manipulating healthy physiological processes has led to unintended consequences that extend beyond individual women.
Because women's well-being is intrinsically linked to the health of our families and communities, our experiences with ovulation, pregnancy, childbirth, and menstruation have ripple effects on our social circles, economic contributions, and the health of future generations. To foster a more holistic and effective approach to women's health, I propose adopting these three guiding principles...
Health as Wholeness: Women's healthcare should focus on restoring the natural physiological state of the female body, emphasizing health as wholeness, not pathology. Core female biological processes such as ovulation, gestation, and lactation should be supported, not treated as conditions requiring suppression or manipulation. Health is the integration of physical, spiritual, and mental well-being.
Respect for Natural Physiology: Medical care must align with the natural design of the female body, working to restore and support health rather than override it with artificial interventions.
Sacredness of Womanhood: Women's health is intrinsically tied to her capacity to generate and nurture life. This sacred aspect of female physiology must be respected throughout all stages of care.
In future posts, I’ll elaborate on these proposed women’s health principles further and continue to reveal the gaps in our current system. You can expect to read stories of women’s struggles and victories in finding good healthcare, meet the experts who are changing the tide, and learn more about hormonal and reproductive health. Today, I’ll leave you with a few of the organizations who are doing important work to guide hormonal health education and restorative reproductive medicine:
FACTS about Fertility: focuses on fertility awareness education for medical students
FEMM (Fertility Education and Medical Management): combines cycle-tracking education with medical support for hormonal health
NaPro Technology (Natural Procreative Technology): offers advanced diagnostics and treatments for fertility challenges
Fertility Science Institute: research, resources, and matching to a fertility awareness method that fits your lifestyle
An optimistic future
I envision a future where women can access trustworthy information and the right experts to guide them through balancing hormones, fertility, pregnancy, postpartum, menopause, and beyond. By cultivating both individual and collective understanding of how to properly care for our bodies and honor their procreative potential—through nutrition, stress management, and a lifestyle that is aligned with our unique design—we can achieve true flourishing supported by comprehensive reproductive care. I believe a healthier, more empowered future is possible.
I hope for RoseFem to grow into a community of women who want to understand their natural physiology, respect the sacredness of womanhood, and change the culture of health for generations to come.
If you have an experience you want to share or if you need help finding good care, I want to hear from you! Consider signing up for a Health Strategy Session with me to create a vision for your health and determine the type of care that’s right for you at this stage. My goal is to help every woman find the physical, mental, and spiritual support needed to pursue whole health in every season of her life.
I’d be grateful if you shared this article as we build a revolution of women seeking improved women’s health education and medical care.
Like everything and in spite of being the majority in this country (51.3%) the science it is still skewed and not advancing and saving lives
Skipping periods should not be offered like some sort of everyday consumer product. As I am in my late forties my periods have become more challenging with peri-menopause, but I am always grateful when I get them because I know my body is at least going through it's natural processes and if it wasn't, that would be a good indicator that something was wrong.