German health minister sees disparities in women's health care

Female-specific diseases and symptoms have so far been given too little consideration in medicine and that should change, Germany's Health Minister Nina Warken said.

“Compared to men, women are sometimes treated unfairly in medicine,” she told the Rheinische Post. “It is alarming that women’s needs have only been taken into account in clinical studies for a few years.”

“Women suffer from different symptoms than men, for example in cardiovascular diseases. Medications work differently in the female body than in the male body.” All of this is still insufficiently addressed in medical studies and medical training.

Funding for women’s health research

Her ministry has a funding pool of €11.5 million ($13.5 million) until 2029 to support research projects aimed at improving healthcare for women. Additional funds are available in the ministry headed by Research Minister Dorothee Bär.

"But politically, I also want to address typically female illnesses or limitations, for example, period pain, the consequences of endometriosis or menopause,” Warken said. In endometriosis, tissue similar to the lining of the uterus grows outside the uterus - such as on the ovaries or in the abdominal and pelvic area. Affected women can therefore experience severe pain.

When asked whether Germany should introduce “menstrual leave” for severe period pain, as Spain has done, she said: “A lot would already be gained if management were made more aware of this issue and women didn’t feel additionally pressured during their sometimes intense symptoms.”

That pressure, Warken explained, often leads women to choose part-time rather than full-time employment.