A survey of over 3,000 women finds widespread misinformation, shame and lack of support around vaginal health, pleasure, menstruation, pregnancy, OB/GYN care and menopause
Women’s health has never enjoyed a greater spotlight than it does now, but still, serious gaps in education and widespread stigmas are preventing women from thriving.
That’s according to a new report from vaginal probiotic brand O Positiv Health, whose findings are based on a nationwide quantitative research study conducted in partnership with an independent research firm.
For the report, O Positiv Health surveyed 3,169 women ages 18 to 90 on their personal attitudes, knowledge and experiences across topics including vaginal and sexual health, hormonal health and life stages, reproductive health, healthcare access and experiences, and everyday impact on women’s emotional and physical wellbeing.
Using the results, the lengthy report breaks down six major topics in the women’s health space: vaginal health, women’s pleasure, menstruation, pregnancy, OB/GYN care and menopause.
Here’s what the wellness brand found across the six categories.
Vaginal Health
A lack of knowledge and shame have prevented many women from understanding — or seeking to understand — their own vaginas, O Positiv’s report found.
One in three women wouldn’t tell anyone if they had a vaginal health concern, despite nearly half (47%) having experienced at least one vaginal health concern.
“Women have been made to feel ashamed of their normal anatomy and physiology for an eternity,” said general practitioner Dr. Ali Hodgkinson.
A lot of the uncertainty around vaginal health comes from a lack of education, the survey revealed. Nearly half (46%) of women who took the survey didn’t know the vagina had its own microbiome, while 74% of women don’t know what the healthy vaginal pH range is and 60% aren’t sure what a healthy vagina smells like.
That doesn’t come as a surprise, given nearly two-thirds (60%) of women stated they were never taught about the vagina in school.
Many women are also unaware of vaginal hygiene myths, like using soap inside the vagina, which can irritate the vagina or strip away helpful bacteria.
Women’s Pleasure
Half of women reported having felt sexually unsatisfied in a relationship.
Research reflects that in heterosexual relations, men orgasm about 95% of the time, while women do so only around 65% of the time, colloquially known as the orgasm gap.
“If pleasure is a human right…then we need to change the way we talk about it for women,” said Dr. Laurie Mintz, emeritus professor of psychology at the University of Florida.
Women’s pleasure is often misunderstood as well, with nowhere near as much awareness as men’s. For instance, women’s physical arousal is often deeply intertwined with mental and emotional stimulation, but when that aspect isn’t given space or priority, it becomes harder to orgasm — leading 40% of women to reveal that they’ve faked one before.
Women’s pleasure could be improved simply by discussing it, destigmatizing it and focusing on female-specific sexual education, the report shows.
Over three-quarters (78%) of women say sex could be improved with better communication; however, one-third of women do not feel comfortable sharing their deepest sexual fantasies with their partner, and 84% of women say the sex education they received was not helpful to their sex life.
Menstruation
Before getting their first period, 43% of women reported not knowing what it was.
Menstruation can be one of the most difficult processes women endure, with 85% revealing they had significant pain during their periods — both physical and emotional — with an average physical pain score of six out of 10.
That is likely the case, as 86% of women do not talk to anyone about their PMS or period pain and 45% don’t know if they can or should seek PMS relief, while 69% of women do not always know when their period is normal.
Women still lack proper education about menstruation as well — 96% of women reported not knowing the phases of the menstrual cycle.
“Across the U.S., our healthcare system is failing in the recognition and treatment of pain among women. Compared to their male counterparts, women are more likely to wait longer and less likely to receive treatment for pain,” said OB/GYN Dr. Maria Rodriguez at Oregon Health & Science University.
Pregnancy
Only 10% of women reported feeling prepared for pregnancy, while 77% of women said they didn’t believe they’d be well-supported if they got pregnant in the near future.
“In order to improve maternal health, we have to focus on improving all women’s health and access to care — not just during labor and delivery, but before and after pregnancy, and throughout our lives,” said Dr. Leana S. Wen Emergency Physician.
OB/GYN Care
Part of the uncertainty and fear surrounding pregnancy stems from women’s relationship with their obstetrics and gynecology (OB/GYN) providers, the report showed.
Over two-thirds of women admitted they don’t trust their OB/GYN, with many stating they often feel dismissed, stigmatized or uncomfortable during appointments — and 68% skip their annual visits entirely.
“Often, the (dismissal of patient concerns) is a result of a broken system, where doctors are overscheduled and burnt out,” said OB/GYN Dr. Noa Sterling.
Over half of women reported feeling their OB/GYN lacks compassion as well, while 60% felt their provider had out-of-date practices and information.
That fact is bolstered by the reality that women’s healthcare is still relying on 19th-century tools, like the speculum developed in the 1800s by men, and disliked by 97% of women.
Menopause
Menopause continues to be one of the most misunderstood aspects of women’s health, with 86% feeling alienated as they go through it.
Despite the fact that every woman goes through menopause, three in four say they’ve never received any education about menopause, while 80% feel unprepared to undergo the new life stage.
Menopause is a significant process impacting a woman’s physical and mental health, as 81% of women claim that the emotional symptoms of menopause are worse than the physical ones, and 63% report that menopause affected their confidence levels.
Women also revealed that menopause impacts their physical health and fitness, with 80% of women feeling less healthy than before and less than half (43%) of women feel that they can still do what they could before menopause.
More and more, however, fitness and wellness brands are leaning into all aspects of women’s health, even the ones with the greatest stigma.
Last year, supplement brand Arrae teamed up with Pamela Anderson on a new product designed for women in midlife and formulated to revitalize metabolism, balance hormone levels and support steady energy.
Meanwhile, luxury fitness giant Equinox unveiled a new women’s health and performance program back in October — EQX ARC —combining personalized training, advanced diagnostics and community-focused programming to address women’s evolving physiological needs from menstruation and fertility to postpartum and perimenopause.
