Three of Canada’s leading women’s health foundations – BC Women’s Health Foundation, Alberta Women’s Health Foundation, and Women’s College Hospital Foundation – have launched the Women’s Health Collective Canada (WHCC) with a national survey that underscores the need for increased awareness around women’s health. Survey results show what those in the medical community have known for years: that lack of knowledge and public understanding of women’s health parallels a history of gender inequality in the research process.
Canadian adults across the country were surveyed using a proportionate sampling method to ensure a representative sample was achieved. Results highlighting Canadians’ misinformation around women’s health include:
- 89% of Canadians don’t know that women are more likely than men to experience an adverse reaction to prescription medications
- 83% of Canadians don’t know that over 30% of women suffer from periods severe enough to interfere with daily activities
- Only 20% of Canadians know that heart disease kills more women than men each year
In a plan to close this health gap, WHCC is united in funding medical research that addresses the unique needs of women, building awareness of how healthy women create a healthier Canada, broadening the scope and reach of world-class women’s health programs, and ultimately creating higher standards of care for every woman across the country.
