The Health Huns
The Messy Side of Health and Fitness!
Your favourite amateur athletes keeping it real, discussing the messy side of health and fitness
The Health Huns
Ep.17 The Mysterious World of Women’s Health
Every woman knows the feeling—sitting in a doctor's office, describing debilitating symptoms, only to be dismissed with "try losing weight" or "it's just hormones." This isn't just frustrating; it's dangerous.
We're pulling back the curtain on the systemic problems in women's healthcare, exploring conditions like PCOS, endometriosis, and perimenopause that affect millions yet remain chronically under-researched and misunderstood. Did you know it takes an average of 7-8 YEARS to receive an endometriosis diagnosis? Or that women are twice as likely to die from heart attacks because their symptoms present differently than the "classic" male symptoms taught in medical school?
The disparities are staggering. When men experience erectile dysfunction or low testosterone, they're quickly offered medication. Yet women suffering from debilitating menstrual pain or perimenopausal symptoms are told to "just deal with it." Medical research has historically excluded women because of the perceived "messiness" of hormones, leaving enormous gaps in our understanding of female bodies. Even the BMI scale—still widely used today—was developed based solely on male bodies.
For women of colour, these problems compound exponentially, with maternal mortality rates three times higher than for white women. The entire system was designed "by men, for men," and everyone with a uterus is paying the price.
But there's hope. Conversations are opening up. Support groups are forming. Public figures like Davina McCall are bringing conditions like perimenopause into mainstream discussion. We're standing up and demanding better—better research, better treatment options, and better understanding.
Share your experiences with us on Instagram @thehealthhundspod.
think so, maybe like erectile dysfunction, like hello and welcome to the health hands, the pod where we discuss the messy side of health and fitness from gym fails to newfound communities we're here to help you feel like less of a failure and find your place in the messy world of health and fitness hello and welcome to episode 17 of the Health Hands.
Speaker 1:Hello, we're recording this on Zoom, aren't we? We're recording it on.
Speaker 2:Zoom, we're in different rooms. This has never happened before. How do you feel? I feel a bit odd.
Speaker 1:I feel really weird. I feel lonely, I'm on my own. I'm not on my own because Astrid is literally sitting here looking at me. I mean, I do feel a bit out of sorts about a pug by my feet, but one day, yeah, yeah, you need one, I do. We actually haven't seen each other this week. We saw each other Sunday, but we haven't actually properly caught up. So how has your week been?
Speaker 2:It's been all right. It's been busy. Busy. Monday, tuesday and Wednesday now are really busy days for me. Um, so, yeah, it's just been really busy. Uh, I've made an appointment at the doctor's because my wrist is really sore and I think I've got carpal tunnel. So, um, I'm going on the first of October and I've ordered myself a little splint to sleep in and a little thumb thing. It's been really bad actually, like I'm all right but it is quite painful. So I my week has been a bit rubbish because of that. So it's probably about five, because I've just been busy. My wrist hurts. I haven't seen you yet. I didn't run on Sunday because I, like, had very topical, had really bad period cramps, um. But I did have a good Sunday. After that went to the new Ikea. How was it busy? Really busy. I think. If it wasn't so busy it'd actually be quite good. It's bigger than I expected. Um, I went for a run today.
Speaker 1:So, yeah, just about five, okay um, I've had a really nice week. I love the response we got from our guest episode last week with Helen. Yeah, that was our first guest. I was really proud of us. Me too. A thousand downloads, like you know, in total since we started, over a thousand. Over a thousand. When did we start a podcast? May, june? Yeah, I think we started. I gonna let me look. Yeah, I don't think it's been more than four months.
Speaker 1:Yeah these pugs are being feral um. So that was really cool. Gays 5k was really busy on sunday, which I love to see it was so busy.
Speaker 2:It was really nice. 22nd of May 22nd of May.
Speaker 1:Look at us so June, july, august, september. So coming up to our four-month birthday next week, yeah, it's amazing.
Speaker 2:Nearly on 20 episodes. Yeah, I guess, if you count the.
Speaker 1:Minnesodes.
Speaker 2:Yeah, we've done 20 ish maybe 19, but we're only counting the ones that we give numbers to. Yeah, um.
Speaker 1:So all in all has been pretty good, I'd say and I'm really consistent in the gym at the minute, which is really making me feel good. Out of 10, I'd give it about an 8 or a 9. That's high if you look in the gym at the minute, which is really making me feel good. Out of 10, I'd give it about an eight or nine. That's high if you look in the background. I've actually started putting up the frames, congratulations.
Speaker 2:I made a start today.
Speaker 1:So, oh my god, 15 to go. She's got a little feeling the cold yeah, honestly, they're not.
Speaker 2:They're not themselves right now. They're really harassing me. I think they miss you. They're like what's going on? They can hear me, but they can't smell me, yeah, or lick you. I know, do you miss Rhi?
Speaker 1:yeah oh, I don't know when I'll see them next, not for ages. We'll do something soon, yeah. Yeah, I don't know when I'll see them next, not for ages. Well, we'll do something soon. Yeah, right then Should we talk about what we're going to talk about?
Speaker 2:Yeah, let's, let's. God, I hope no one's going to watch this, because I am like chaos.
Speaker 1:It's fine, I'll get a good clip and that's all we need. Talking about women's health today, big topic, it's huge, and I think it's something we've both got well. I think anyone with a uterus has experienced has had some sort of negative experience when it comes to their health and conditions that seemingly predominantly affect women, and how hard it can be to be seen, to be heard and to receive the treatment we deserve at times yeah, and I think it puts people off even like trying to seek medical advice 100, 100.
Speaker 1:Um, let's start off. I've got a list of conditions that predominantly affect women, and sometimes only affect women, and then we'll just get into it from there. So we've got pcos, which is polycystic ovary syndrome, and for anyone who doesn't know what it is, it's basically little cysts grow and develop all around your uterus and your ovaries and ovaries yeah, cystic ovary syndrome.
Speaker 2:But sometimes you don't even they'll do an ultrasound and you don't even see any cysts. But you can pick it up from blood tests as well. Oh, I didn't know which. I didn't know because I well, I was diagnosed with it when I was like a teenager, like a young teenager, and then when I had a blood test last year at some point I think it was around about this time last year um, the doctor was like you don't have any markers of PCOS. Oh, my god, these.
Speaker 1:I can't hear them.
Speaker 2:That makes me feel better okay, um, she was like you don't have any markers of PCOS in your blood anymore.
Speaker 1:Oh, but that within itself is interesting. It's like where's the research to explain that phenomenon then? Yeah, um yeah, having pcos can be quite difficult for people. So it can cause um excess hair growth may where maybe you don't want hair to grow. It can cause really painful periods. It can cause really heavy periods or really irregular periods.
Speaker 2:Um difficulty with fertility, god, weight gain or difficulty managing your weight and I, yeah, and I think if you have PCOS, then you it's like an insulin kind of related thing and you're more likely to develop um type 2 diabetes as well. Yeah, like and I I had hair, I didn't want it irregular periods, really heavy periods, like weight gain, like so many things, it can like skin, it can affect your skin like it's. It's horrible.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it can be really tough for people and I think often it goes massively underdiagnosed as well, and a lot of times people are self-diagnosing because they're struggling to get the help from the doctors that they need. Um, but they're matching all the symptoms and stuff like that. Another one is I always say it wrong, how do you say it? Lipid?
Speaker 1:that's it, which is often. I think it only affects women actually or so far it seems to be that way and it is in the lower half of the body that affects, and it is disease you can get it.
Speaker 1:You can get it in your arms as well, oh, yeah, disease fat cells which just mutate and grow larger and larger and larger, and it's not a case of losing weight that can solve it. You can't do anything at the minute to combat the problem and there's so little research in that area as well, so that can affect self-esteem.
Speaker 2:And the fat cells are like knobbly. Yeah, like if you feel them they're like.
Speaker 1:they feel like little knobbly bits yeah, they're all mutated, so it's not normal. Fat cells, no, and obviously that comes with a whole host of issues with people. It can limit when, like, going outside, because it can be so extreme at times people look at you funny. It can limit your mobility and your ability to actually just walk and be comfortable in life, and then that can lead to other problems, health issues. But again you go to the doctors and they say, oh, there's nothing we can do about it, or the classic which is going to be an answer to a lot of these problems, which is I'll just go and lose weight, yeah, um, so yeah, endometriosis, lining of the uterus grows outside the uterus and it's almost like and it takes, isn't it from the start of being diagnosed or the start of trying to seek diagnosis of endometriosis?
Speaker 2:the average time is like seven to twelve years or something. Yeah, I have.
Speaker 1:The average time is like 7 to 12 years or something yeah, I have that written down that exact 7 to 8 years to receive a diagnosis on average, which is insane, because I've known people to faint due to the pain they are in because of endometriosis. It can be if it's left untreated. Sometimes it can spread to the bowels and can cause people to have to have surgery, bowels removed and a stoma bag put in. That's happened in a few cases, but, again, the only way to actually see if it's happening is through surgery at the minute, isn't it? Um, and to a laparoscopy, yes, and to even get to that point can take, like you said, years and years.
Speaker 2:So people and often you have the laparoscopy and they don't find anything. But I think endometriosis, like it, can shed and come back and even if you have, you know, even if they find it and basically they burn it out of you, it comes back.
Speaker 1:But there's not enough research to see, like, how can we prevent this? Is there medication, all that kind of stuff? Not enough research to see, like, how can we prevent this? Is there medication, all that kind of stuff? Pmdd, um, which is a mood disorder associated with, like, the menstrual cycle. So you know, you get like pmt, pms when you like, feel sad, and stuff funny story.
Speaker 2:I was diagnosed with pmdd when I was about 21, okay, and I was on the contraceptive pill Sarazette, which is, I think, a mini pill where you take it every day and you don't have a break and I went to the doctor because I was like I'm mental. I was just like you know, I like I wouldn't have particularly said, I was particularly like I wasn't before and I didn't really put it down to the pill, um, but I was like I think I'm gonna literally stab my husband. I mean, he was very annoying, but he wasn't my husband at the time, he was my boyfriend but I was like I literally like I think I'm gonna kill him, like there are times where I'm literally looking at him, thinking I want to get your head and put it through a window. And she was like you got PMDD, so I'm going to put you on fluoxetine, which is an antidepressant. I stopped taking the contraception pill and within two weeks I was back to normal nothing insane, that's.
Speaker 1:Another answer to a lot of these problems is oh, here have the pill. Go on the pill or just go on antidepressants. Not that those two things are an issue, and they have their uses, but it's the lack of further investigation which is a problem. And PMDD is something I'm pretty sure I suffer with as well, and I'm not on any contraceptive pill so I definitely I was diagnosed with it but I didn't have it.
Speaker 2:it was just obviously the hormones from the pill Messing with you.
Speaker 1:Were not right. For me, having just a period in general can be quite debilitating and there's not much support and advice and help out there. Really, I think that is kind of something we just have to kind of deal with as people with.
Speaker 2:And children start their periods much earlier these days, like when I went to school, I was quite young I think I was about 11 but generally a lot of people didn't start their periods until they were like 13 14, but now I children start their periods around. They're like 9 or 10, which is interesting in itself, isn't it? I wonder what's caused that.
Speaker 1:I don't know something in the water, probably um menopause, a massive one at the minute, which we'll get into pots, which is something that can cause a lot of dizziness, breathlessness, extreme fatigue, and I've worked with a couple of clients with POTS before and it can be really debilitating. Autoimmune diseases tend to affect women more than they do men. I can't hear you.
Speaker 2:You can't hear me. Can you hear me? Now have I frozen?
Speaker 1:you've frozen for me oh my god, can you hear me now back. You're back, am I clear? What was the last thing you heard um pots, pots, something that makes you dizzy, breathless, really. Uh, extreme fatigue, and they can have a really debilitating impact on your life. Yeah, and people can faint, can't they?
Speaker 1:yeah it can be of. Yeah, I've worked with people with it in the gym and it. They really have to like, manage it and be aware, and it does affect their day-to-day life. But again, you go to the doctors. I think it's so hard to get diagnosed with it as well. Um, rheumatoid arthritis, which is an autoimmune disease, predominantly affects women, and this that's interesting. My research, yes, and also just from experience, I've only ever met women who have it, not to say men don't get it, but I've only ever met women who've had it or have it and osteoporosis.
Speaker 2:That's the bone brittle bones, isn't it? Does that only affect women as well?
Speaker 1:I'm not sure. I know it really ramps up in menopause decreases because of the changes in hormones. But I'm pretty sure it's only osteop. I'm not sure. I think everyone's bones get bristled as they get older.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I think men can get it as they get older, but I do think it is like more of a.
Speaker 1:I think the rate in which it affects women is faster than it is men. Yeah, anyway. So we've got a load of different things that seem to just affect us, of different things that seem to just affect us, and the one thing they've all got in common they are all severely underfunded when it comes to research and they're not taken seriously by a lot of the medical world and research is often not even carried out on women, no, and which is wild.
Speaker 1:It's crazy. But there's a few reasons behind that which we'll get into later. But let's just say one thing men are the issue again.
Speaker 2:Of course, jokes we love although I have had friends who have had these kind of issues and they've gone to female doctors and female doctors have also been quite problematic as well yeah, I think the system also I there was a quote I grabbed from a research thing.
Speaker 1:I'll put it in the show notes, but the quote was a health care system designed by for men, and that system also includes the education in which both female and male doctors will receive when they go to do their study. So it's a tricky one. Have you got anything to say on the matter? Your own personal experiences with diagnosis and stuff? I?
Speaker 2:mean not other than the fact that people are like you need to lose weight. If you did this, you'd yeah. I mean no, because I think it's such a. The response is so generic. I mean I'm guessing we're going to talk more about perimenopause as we go on. But I mean, as a woman who is in perimenopause, I didn't even know perimenopause was a thing until about five years ago. I just thought, and I just thought one day you didn't have a period and you started having hot flushes and then you were in the menopause because nobody talked about it. Nobody ever talked about it. It's only recently this has become such a big thing and it's wild.
Speaker 1:And I think Davina McCall another hun I really love Davina McCall too. I think she's been at the forefront for a lot of the talking about it, getting it out there, the research I think she'd done a big documentary on Channel 4.
Speaker 2:She did I've got her book actually not that I've read it, but I have got it you just like books for show, don't you?
Speaker 1:well, I wanted to read it, but I just haven't had time um, but yeah, let's talk about, let's talk about that then menopause, perimenopause and those kind of hormonal related, womanly things, as people like to put it, and the problems with it in terms of health and fitness well, I mean hormones.
Speaker 2:you, as my personal trainer, know that sometimes, depending where I am on my cycle, depends whether I can like lift things or not.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so that's a really interesting point, because a few years ago, training for women, all of it was based around your cycle, like that was the recommended thing. But I think that is a bit of a problematic piece of advice because a lot of women don't fall into a normal cycle. What is what is assumed to be a normal cycle, like 28 days. Um, a lot of women have these problems, such as pcos, endometriosis, all that kind of thing, which then affects things, and it's almost like it kind of, I think, gave this message to women like hold yourself back, because you're a woman, you can't train as hard all the time. I think it's really good to be aware that your hormones can impact your performance, but I think there's this other side of it that just felt a little bit like oh, calm down, women. You're a little woman, you shouldn't be lifting that heavy this week. You know what I mean.
Speaker 1:Some of the advice can be a little woman. Well then, you shouldn't be lifting that heavy this week. Do you know what I mean? Some of the advice can be a little bit problematic, but I do notice a pattern with a lot of my clients. Every three, four, five weeks they'll have a big drop-off, but that can be caused by many things, but it is something that definitely needs to be considered with people who have periods, who weight train and perform. And there's also an interesting theory that so there's a lot of injuries in women's sports I only really know about football so like a lot of knee ligament injuries, like ACL tears and stuff like that, and there's evidence to show that, depending on where you are in your cycle, you're more prone to those types of injuries. So that's why research into these things and continued research is so important, because you could be preventing career-ending injuries for female athletes by knowing this stuff.
Speaker 2:Yeah, um, so that there's another kind of thing to do with, sort of to do with injuries, I guess, and I've seen this I can't remember who it is, but it's a like a, a professional female runner, and there's a thing called REDS. It's relative energy deficiency in sport, and it's to do with when you have disordered eating and you restrict your eating and your periods stop and you then don't have basically the well, I guess, the, the energy, and you've got decreased bone density and, um, things like that as well. So that's a, that's a, I guess that's, you know, because it stops your period. It's, that's a sign of it.
Speaker 1:Yeah, um, I completely forgot what I was going to say. Sorry, I just went off on a tangent there. I want to quickly touch on the BMI as an example of a lot of our medical models being based on research conducted on men. So the BMI A? It's extremely outdated research way of categorizing people anyway, and I think it should be binned. But the original study was based on men and men only and I think it was like, I want to say like Scottish men, I don't know, it was a yeah, I might be a little bit wrong there. It was some sort of, it was some country and it was just the men from that country and the whole BMI scale was based on them.
Speaker 1:So you, when was it developed? Oh god, in the early 1900s around. It was developed as a mathematical equation to for insurance companies to use to sell insurance. Oh, actually, um, as a medical model. It was never intended to be that at all. It's just bollocks and it just, it just doesn't work. It really doesn't. It doesn't tell you anything you need to know, but but the labels that it gives people can be extremely damaging. Yeah, um, and what it can prevent? So it can prevent you having surgery and stuff like that. The labels that it gives people can be extremely damaging, yeah, and what it can prevent? So it can prevent you having surgery and stuff like that, and I'm all for obviously testing people to make sure they're safe to go under and, you know, come out the other end of it, but I don't think that's the model we should be. You know, deciding these things on, but that's just an example of how a lot of the advice that we are given as a general population is based on men and not women yeah, and it's old-fashioned.
Speaker 2:Yeah, like it needs to be updated. I'm surprised really, bmi's, they're not going to update it because so many people disagree with it.
Speaker 1:I just don't think they've got anything better yet and I don't think they're willing to put the research and the funding into it. It's a really clear cut way of categorising people, whether you agree with it or not. It's a, you know, to make admin a bit easier, I guess on the NHS, and it's black and white and I think it's hard to have case by case, unfortunately. But I think it'd be interesting to look at what you mentioned earlier, the research and why money or why the research is lacking. And, as always, it comes down to funding and money. So a lot of the time in scientific research it's being funded by someone. So, yeah, if that person needs a certain piece of research to say a certain thing, to sell a certain product, yes, how they're going to want the person doing that, the most likely chance of that specific outcome to benefit them, do you?
Speaker 1:know what I mean, um, yeah, so probably why the female athletes and all that kind of stuff hasn't been studied injuries, nutrition, training principles, all that kind of stuff hasn't been studied injuries, nutrition, training principles, all that kind of stuff is because up until very recently, the female athlete sphere wasn't making nearly as much money as the male athletes, for example, football. So why bother funding scientific research for women footballers when they're not making?
Speaker 1:any like it's no benefit to anyone at the time, which is really sad. Yeah, um, the other issues with lack of um research is women being part of the research teams, women being on the boards um of companies and health programs and stuff. It's all men there. There's another quote I saw in an. I actually read research papers for this um did you.
Speaker 2:You've done much prep than me. I literally finished work, had a meltdown trying to log in and here I am and it probably shows because I have nothing valuable to contribute no, yes you do.
Speaker 1:I don't put yourself down, um, I just find this. I just find this topic fascinating. But this is based in America, but women make up less than 20 percent of teen doctors in both collegiate and professional sports, so everything's being done through a male lens and male if you're you.
Speaker 2:If you're a man, unless you're a transgender man, you do not understand a female body. If you are a cis man, you do not understand the female body. You might be able to empathize on a level because you have a wife, sisters, mums, whatever, but you don't know what it's like no, and well, you can only know so much.
Speaker 1:Yeah, exactly, and a lot of the research is outdated in general, like even for men. They're being so short because a lot of the research isn't being updated as much as it needs to be. And when all these original studies were done, women were at home. These were the beliefs of the time was women were at home, they were too busy to partake in these studies. They were looking after the house, the children, cooking the men dinner. And there was another quote where it was like decades of women being blocked from clinical trials, trials because of the perceived messiness of hormones. Scientists were like nah, ain't touching up the barge pole. I can't be dealing with those hysterical women in my trial.
Speaker 2:Well, when we actually look back. I have a lot of views on women's mental health because, you know, back in the day when Freud was around, if women were showed any kind of like, you know, not be in the way they wanted them, men wanted them and expected them to act. They were hysterical. Yeah, they had hysteria and they were put in mental like hospitals and, like you know, now there is, you've got the modern day hysteria. Hysteria which is like borderline personality disorder, which like is basically when women are traumatized or act in a way that, like you know, is not deemed to be acceptable. Oh, she's, she's mental, she's got this.
Speaker 1:I've never looked at BPD like that before.
Speaker 2:It's nearly always women, that it's a high percentage of women get diagnosed with it. And it's exactly the same to me, like when I did my counselling degree, like we had to write an essay I can't remember which one it was, but there was a real big thing and for me it's like you know, you like, basically, you're just saying women are crazy. Oh she's crazy, she's got hysteria. Oh she's crazy, she's got borderline personality disorder. Yeah, it's.
Speaker 1:The men are expected to behave like this and women aren't. Like you said, yeah, yeah, um, where were we?
Speaker 2:I don't know, I'm really like all over the place.
Speaker 1:I've been chaotic all day. Oh, women being included in trials, clinical trials. So there's that. And then there's another level to that, which is if you're a woman of colour, level to that which is if you're a woman of color. So women of color are three times more likely to die during childbirth than yeah, I've heard that.
Speaker 1:Now, obviously there are a number of factors. That is the case, I'm sure, but a big part of it is that a nursing women, mothers people and people who are either pre or postnatal, I think, is like make up one percent of clinical trials and there's just not enough funding in that area for research in general. And then to add to that for women of color, they're just not included in the clinical trials for one reason or another, which I'm sure is another layer of racism. Um, yeah so?
Speaker 1:and class? Yeah, exactly so. This isn't just about doctors not caring, or doctors about knowing.
Speaker 1:This is a huge systemic issue that, just like most stuff to do with sexism and racism, the layers to it is just and it's unlikely to change no but I think one of the big things I kept coming across when I was like reading all about it and you know the positive headlines was that there's so many more people talking about it now, like 20 years ago there wasn't women sitting on a podcast talking about this stuff, probably we wouldn't be allowed to be 20 years. Maybe we would have been allowed out of the house.
Speaker 2:Maybe, yeah, no, but I mean, this is the thing when I go back to perimenopause. So 20 years ago I was 23. I had to think that and I didn't. Nobody knew perimenopause was a thing. Nobody was talking about it, nobody spoke. My friends, we speak about our periods all the time. You know, we have trackers where we track our periods, like this is one good thing for the internet. Like you know, I've got a tracker. I track my periods. I, you know, know exactly when it's and it's really. It's really good. It always predicts it correctly. You know, and I'm having these conversations with my friends, I'm reading about stuff online and the whole perimenopause thing is a big thing. Now there's, you know, there's Davina McCall. There's like support and stuff. 20 years ago I didn't know it was a thing and that is a thing that happens to my body.
Speaker 1:Yeah, all I knew about it was going oh, have you been through? The change is something I heard as a kid growing up and just, and it was almost a laughing point in tv and movies and and like sitcoms and stuff was like an older woman having a hot flush or that was. That was a lot. That was the bit, that was.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that was that was what you thought having menopause was. But so many things it's like, you know, ringing in your ears, itchy skin, like skin changes, like your period being more heavy, being lighter, like having like clots, like so many things. It can start really, yeah, brain fog. You know there's been stories about women I think there was, I think it was a police officer and she actually sued the force that she worked for because she was perimenopausal. She had really bad brain fog and they basically just bullied her out. But it what? And she was saying like I'm struggling, um, and she just wasn't taken seriously and off on a tangent, again, a few years ago, can you remember when that woman fell in a lake? That woman went missing. They found her dog and her phone, which was still connected on the bench and she.
Speaker 2:They then found her body in the river. And then a woman in Norwich yeah, something like that. Then there was a woman in Norwich who like worked in Gerald's and like was acting erratically and then they found her in the river and people said they're probably because they're perimenopausal. Yeah, that was a thing that was thrown around like no, maybe not the impact it can have is huge.
Speaker 1:I think there's a I might be making this up. I'm pretty sure I saw or heard a statistic about the percentage of divorce goes up when women hit a certain age because of one reason or another, but people associate it with the menopause. Um, I think it's just actually waking up and thinking this man's a piece of shit yeah, basically, I don't think that's anything to do with the menopause.
Speaker 2:I think that's just being like fuck this, oh wow, baby. But of course men are gonna blame it on women being emotionally unstable because of a hormonal health condition, because they can't face the truth that maybe it's them maybe they're the problem.
Speaker 1:We're not saying like, ah, but the research is suggesting maybe it could be something to do with them. Um hashtag, not all men anyway. So it's been a lot so far. So I think this has been quite a one of the most researched topics we've done you have researched.
Speaker 2:I feel bad. I have not researched enough no, no, don't feel bad.
Speaker 1:It's now my hyper fixation for the foreseeable future. Get my teeth.
Speaker 2:This has been one of the most serious episodes we've done. I think it's not something, it's not been a. It's not been a lot of laughing.
Speaker 1:No, and I think it's because it's really close to home for both of us yeah yeah, going through things ourself. You speak to mainly women all day, every day. So do I, so we hear the horror stories of how they're treated on a daily basis. This isn't just like every now and then the doctors get it wrong. This is time after time after time.
Speaker 2:This. Every single woman that goes to the doctors for one of these kind of conditions, especially if you are. You know your BMI is higher than they want it to be. First of all, you need to lose weight or we can't help you.
Speaker 2:You need to lose weight until you can have your laparoscopy, you know? Or just try taking the contraceptive pill, like that is. That isn't? That is one of the. You know, when girls get acne when they're younger, just take the pill. Why do you want to fill your body with hormones like I mean? This leads to another question why haven't they developed more accessible male contraception? Why do we?
Speaker 1:think amber, who are in charge of doing all this.
Speaker 2:But you know, like always down to the women, isn't it? Yeah?
Speaker 1:and I'm sure, if these issues Well, here's another interesting statistic for you that kind of so women and men neither of them statistically are more likely to have heart attacks, like let's just take lifestyle factors out of the way like they're pretty much equal in their chance of having a heart attack in their lifetime, yet really, yeah, I thought that was interesting too, but it makes sense like sometimes life be happening and you know it's out of your control, right?
Speaker 2:genetics, yeah it's interesting though, because, you know, as a rule I would have thought men had a much higher statistic.
Speaker 1:Yeah hear this, though women are two times more likely to die from a heart attack well, I know, but that's because their symptoms are so different.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and actually like well, so my nan, who was super healthy, she was about I think she was about 82 when she died she died because she had a heart attack and she was not overweight, she lived independently, she went to keep fit classes and she thought she had a heart attack. And she was not overweight, she lived independently, she went to keep fit classes and she thought she had indigestion. Yeah, so she didn't call anybody and actually she was having a heart attack and she went to hospital and they put like a balloon like a balloon to inflate, whatever, but she still died, but she thought she had indigestion. Yeah, and I, that's the thing, isn't it? And people, I have seen a few like campaigns around this and maybe this is something we should look at and share, but like it is very different, whereas men it's more of a my heart, yeah, well, when you go on a first aid course, the symptoms of a heart attack are pain in your chest, pain in your left arm, short of breath, but I think for women it can be sickness.
Speaker 1:Sometimes it can be a bit more of a slower I could be talking about my arse here. I feel like it can be a slower burn. It's sometimes, yeah, it's not as sudden and I think, apart from the symptoms that aren't clearly discussed and the differences, I think it's the fact that you get to 65 years old. You've been binned off by the doctors for the last 40 years of your life. You're not taken seriously. You've had to put up with all these conditions you've had right, you have a little ache and a pain and you're just gonna you're not gonna want to seek medical help if you've had such bad experiences with the medical field, a profession, healthcare, etc. Well, and you feel like a burden, yeah, so you're going to just put up.
Speaker 1:Another statistic was women are two times more likely. So women who do not smoke are two times more likely to die from lung cancer than men who have it who do not smoke more likely to die from lung cancer than men who have it who do not smoke, and I think I think I don't know quite the reasons behind that one, but maybe I can assume cancer treatments and the research into it, is it predominantly men in their clinical trials? Um? Are women less likely to seek out medical advice because they've had bad experiences in the past? Are they not taken as seriously, all these other factors?
Speaker 2:so don't think I mean. We know women are not taken as seriously as men and you know, maybe in the past men were taken more seriously because they were the breadwinners that had to go to work and the women were at home only just looking after and raising the family. Nothing important, but you know. But, like you know, maybe that was why I don't know, but it, you know, it has not changed. No, I'm shocked when I go to the doctors and I'm taken seriously. Now, yeah, I comment on it. I'm like, oh my god, like I've had a good experience.
Speaker 1:They took me seriously I avoid going to the doctors at all costs. I just I. I feel like they're so patronizing. A lot of them are condescending. You feel so rushed. Now this isn't just about being a woman. I think this is just the state of the you know nhs. It tries to do a great job. I love. This is a whole nother topic for another time. But like um one, I knew someone who had she was bigger had all these issues with bowels and constipation, stomach issues, all these things always told you need to lose weight, you need to lose weight, you need to lose weight. She had a gastric bypass or band, can never remember lost loads of weight, still had the same issues and is only now, after 15 years, of having these issues being taken seriously and having the investigation done to see what's wrong with her. Yeah, and the other issue is fat phobia in um. Medicine is huge and often that does affect women a lot more for one reason or another as well yeah, yeah, and I mean I have experienced that firsthand like I.
Speaker 2:And it's wild now that I go to the doctors and I mean I that I'm told that I'm healthy and fit and I'm just like you're not going to tell me to lose weight, yeah, but like it, like I have been. You know, I remember going to the doctors because I basically I had appendicitis. So I went to the walking center who sent me to the doctors and the doctor was like, I think you've got appendicitis, you need to go to A&E. And like I saw my notes and he wrote very obese woman and it's like what's that got to do with it? And then I got to the hospital and like actually the hospital were fine, like but they I ended up not having my appendix removed, I'm guessing, because of my weight, and I was in hospital for like four or five days having IV antibiotics which did clear it up.
Speaker 2:So I mean, in a way, good, because I'd had quite a lot of operations those few years, but like now I would be treated much differently. Like now I would be treated much differently. Like I went to the the doctors like about some breathing issues I was having when I was running, and he was like well, I wish all of my patients were like you. You're obviously clearly very fit and healthy. And I'm like oh, is that because I've lost weight? Yeah, exactly like if I'd have gone there when I was the weight before, even if I'd been running. He'd have been like well, you need to lose weight. Yeah, I mean to be fair. Nothing came of it. I had a blood test and nobody even contacted me about the results, but I was treated differently.
Speaker 1:Maybe we should do a whole topic on that. Yeah, if you can get someone from Fatlip, norwich or somewhere to come and discuss that. So I do think that's a really important topic that people don't understand enough and often have opinions that aren't quite fair. I'd say yeah and stuff, but how far along are we? I can't see. I've no idea.
Speaker 2:I've got no idea. I mean it's 2052. So, I feel like we've been talking for a long time.
Speaker 1:Yeah, nearly coming to an hour. So should we round it off then, because I feel like we've got our point across quite well tonight.
Speaker 2:Do you know, I feel like we've spoken about everything and nothing, because there's still like so much that there is to talk about, like, essentially, women are not taken seriously in medical settings or any real setting.
Speaker 1:No, and the implications of that are huge. It even, it even feeds into the lack of research and understanding about these um illnesses, problems that affect women. It even goes into the gender pay gap, because there was another statistic I didn't write this down. There was something like women have had to have x amount more days of their men per year in their jobs because of really painful periods pcos, um, endometriosis, menopause and all that kind of stuff and there's no um, what's the word I'm looking for? Reimbursement? There's. There's nothing there like paid leave or sick pay to help with that. So women, then again, the gap gets bigger and bigger and bigger and bigger for all these different reasons.
Speaker 2:Right, because realistically, what conditions do men have that that don't like? What are maleonly conditions that affect them regularly? Balding they can still go to work for that. They might not want to. They can go to Turkey. They can have a hair transplant. Yeah, and it's not like a painful ability.
Speaker 1:It might be embarrassing but it's not. I don't think it's embarrassing For them. They might feel embarrassed.
Speaker 2:I mean it's fine them. They might feel embarrassed. I mean it's fine, but bald men are fine no testosterone on them.
Speaker 1:This is something that I think's like not hilarious, but a fucking joke is. Men will go into the doctors at maybe 45, 50, 60 years old and they'll display signs of low testosterone straight away. They're given the hormone they need to get that back up to the level so they can function well. Yeah, that's not a perceived messiness of hormones, is it? We're like here you go, here's your um, trt, trt, t something testosterone replacement hormone therapy, whereas a woman to get hrt for um men, I mean don't, because I am trying to get hrt at the minute and it's a nightmare because they're like you're, too young you're too young.
Speaker 1:You need this blood test exactly, but you could go in as a man at any age and display signs. I'll do your blood test, I'll see your testosterone's low and I'm. I could be wrong, but I'm from what I've heard and understand, you're pretty much likely to get what you need, and that would be hormone replacement therapy.
Speaker 2:Hrt yeah, for your testosterone levels so, other than low testosterone, I mean, do men have any conditions that just affect them, that cause them extreme pain, like they're not out there bleeding monthly?
Speaker 1:I don't think so.
Speaker 2:Maybe like erectile dysfunction, like but again they can go to work and stuff. It's not. It might be causing some emotional pain. I get that and it is a horrible thing. But again they would go to the doctors and they would prescribe them viagra. You can buy viagra from boots now without a prescription.
Speaker 1:Like they changed it during the perimenopause and menopause, and also any stage of a woman's life, they can suffer from low libido. Where's our viagra? That's what I want to know, because women's pleasure isn't obviously as important as men's, because they don't actually need to get a hard-on, do you know?
Speaker 2:what I mean?
Speaker 1:no, so why have they got a special pill and we don't?
Speaker 2:because you, because they're men, but it is true, isn't it? But the more I think about it, it's like men don't have anything that makes them bleed every month. Worry, like you know, severe pain, I'm like, not so much now. This week I had bad period pains, but when I was younger, especially when I was a hairdresser, I'd be cutting hair sometimes and I'd feel like I was going to pass out Because it's like somebody got my insides and literally squeezed them like this. Men don't have that. No, I mean, if men do go something like this, please do let us know, because I am curious.
Speaker 1:I'm not no, I don't. Nothing sprints springs to, but I'm sure there's not as big a list as what we've got written down here.
Speaker 2:We're saying the only things that men suffer is baldness, erectile dysfunction disorder and low testosterone and basically, OK, there's nothing you can really do other than a transplant for baldness. But there's a pill if you can't get it up and there's a pill that you're given really easily for low testosterone they're fine, exactly.
Speaker 1:Um god, how do we get onto that topic? I don't know. I have no idea. But that is women's health when we relate it to kind of like what we talk about in a very small nutshell a tiny peanut nutshell, but I urge you to go and, if this is something that affects you, go and see what we can do about it.
Speaker 1:There's so many um websites out there charities, petitions. There is a lot of support out there. Unfortunately, I haven't written any of it down, but if I do find it I will put it on the health fund Instagram and stuff and in the show notes.
Speaker 2:I know that there's a Facebook group called the perimenopause hub and that's a really big group and they have lots of things on right. Actually, I think the founder is a woman called Emily Barkley. She's from Suffolk and she has like experts that sort of like do stuff in there, like nutrition, I don't know stuff. I have been on it in the past but I find it a bit overwhelming. So I think I left the group, but like, yeah, that is quite a good one.
Speaker 1:There is support out there You're not on your own of this and the more we talk about it and the more we kind of push to be heard, hopefully, the better it will be and there'll be a demand for research and funding to be put into these areas I do feel like it is talk.
Speaker 2:You know, I said earlier I didn't think that it would ever change, but it has to change.
Speaker 1:Oh yeah, I don't think that it would ever change, but it has to change. Oh yeah, I don't think women are going to shut up about it anytime soon. No, and we shouldn't, because we have to put on enough shit in this world.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, we do I'm exhausted from it.
Speaker 1:I'm exhausted from it. Just one a blue pill and steroids. Give me, give me those things, yeah. But we'll see. Anyway, thank you for listening to that. If you made it to the end, it's been, it's been a lot. I feel angry, I feel I feel motivated.
Speaker 2:I feel like I've just shouted through that yeah, I'm gonna have to dial that.
Speaker 1:I'm gonna have to when, I edit this. Anyway, if you enjoyed the episode, share to your stories, to a friend, review it, subscribe, follow. Follow us on instagram health funds pod. We've been getting on the content, haven't we a bit more? So, yeah, watch this space.
Speaker 2:When we're reunited at last, we'll have some more reels for you yes, I think we need to actually take off a day together, or at least a hot. We just need to have a day together to skip around, film some reels, maybe even just half a day have a snack. Have a snack. Yeah, so you're away next week, aren't you I?
Speaker 1:am, but we're going to try and record anyway, aren't we? Oh, we are, yeah, because it's supposed to rain all week in Wales, so nothing to do, oh god yeah, we'll be fine.
Speaker 2:Then we'll do week in wales, so I'm not gonna do it. Oh god, yeah, we'll be fine, we'll do it in the evening and it'll be fine.
Speaker 1:It'll all be good in the hood. Um, we won't let you guys down, no matter where we are in the world, we'll get. Now we know we can do it on zoom. It's really changed our lives, hasn't it? Changed our lives. Yeah, don't forget your laptop. I'll try not to. If I do, do it on it, on our phones. Oh yeah, that's true. Okay, that's true. Right, peace, see you in the morning, see you in the morning. See you guys next week, next week.
Speaker 2:Bye.