Women’s health is an area that will always remain close to my heart. As the International Day of Action for Women’s Health approaches, I find myself reflecting on how often it remains underrecognised, both in clinical settings and across wider society. The renewed Women’s Health Strategy for England brings into focus a persistent reality: systemic gaps, delayed diagnoses, and the quiet normalisation of symptoms that deserve medical attention.
During my training in gynaecology, one consultant would often say, “the cycle should not stop her in her tracks.” With time, I have come to appreciate the nuance in that statement. The unique seasonality of a woman’s life can, and for many will, intersect with the version of success society most visibly values – career progression, productivity, financial independence. But it should not stop a woman in her tracks when it comes to her sense of health and self, or her ability to form and sustain meaningful personal connections.
Another consultant once told me, “in gynae, you have to listen, because it may be her first chance to be heard.” That insight has stayed with me. So much of what is brought into a consultation is deeply personal, hidden, and sometimes carried for years. What may seem like a small symptom can profoundly shape confidence, relationships, and a woman’s ability to connect, with a partner, with others, and with herself. Listening – truly listening – is foundational in women’s health.
This brings us to a more uncomfortable question: are we sometimes too quick to fix, and too blunt with our medical approaches? If the cycle stops her in her tracks, we suppress it. If it is absent, we attempt to restore it. In a healthcare culture shaped by efficiency and outcomes, the instinct to intervene is strong. But this is precisely where we should pause and ask: does every intervention truly respect the woman in front of us? Does it honour her experience, her preferences, her biology, or does it prioritise resolution over understanding? For decades, much of gynaecological care has centred on oestrogen suppression or replacement. These approaches can be effective, but they are far from a complete answer. We need more targeted, nuanced strategies that address underlying biology, preserve choice, and align with the realities of women’s lives.
This is also why the role of healthcare communications matters more than many realise. How we frame the science, how we sequence the narrative across a woman’s life stages, and how we equip clinicians to have more nuanced conversations is part of the care itself. At Syneos Health Communications, this is the work we are committed to: ensuring that the way we communicate about women’s health reflects the same depth of understanding and respect that women deserve in the consulting room.
Women’s health extends far beyond reproductive care, rightly so. But I have chosen to reflect through my primary area of experience, because if each of us takes responsibility for advocating within our own sphere of influence, meaningful progress will emerge.
Authored by:
Natalia Barkalina, MD, PhD, is a Medical Director at Syneos Health Communications.
An obstetrician and gynaecologist by primary training, she has worked extensively in gynaecological endocrinology and infertility.
