The Power of Being Heard: Why Advocacy Matters in Women’s Health

Women deserve to be heard, respected, and taken seriously — especially when it comes to our health.

In Australia, women and gender-diverse people still wait longer for pain relief, face higher rates of misdiagnosis, and can spend years chasing answers for common conditions like endometriosis or autoimmune disease. And frankly, it’s not good enough.

Advocacy — asking questions, pushing for tests, seeking a second opinion, or joining campaigns — can be the difference between years of frustration and getting the right care, when you need it.

At Hazel, we’re here to back you up. From providing evidence-based care to helping you navigate the system, we make sure your voice is part of every step in your health journey — and we won’t let it get lost in the noise.

Let’s learn more about the power of advocacy and why women need to speak up. 

The Problem: When Women Aren’t Heard in Healthcare

Not being heard in healthcare can mean years of pain, a missed diagnosis, or treatment that never gets to the root of the problem. For many women and gender-diverse people, not having their concerns heard is a part of their everyday reality.

It often starts quietly: symptoms downplayed, chalked up to stress, or dismissed as “just part of getting older.” Sometimes it’s more blatant, or even medical gaslighting, where concerns are minimised or reframed until you begin to question your own experiences.

Appointments are often too short to unpack complex health issues, and many conditions present differently in women — making them easier to overlook when medical training and research have historically focused on male bodies.

And the data doesn’t lie, the numbers show just how widespread these issues are:

• Heart disease: Women are 50% more likely than men to be misdiagnosed after a heart attack, and more likely to be sent home from emergency departments without treatment.
  
  
• Pain & emergency care: Women wait longer than men for pain relief in Australian emergency departments, even when presenting with the same conditions.
  
  
• Endometriosis: Takes an average of 7–10 years to be diagnosed, leaving many to live with severe pain, fertility problems, and impacts on mental health and work.
  
  
• Autoimmune disease: Around 80% of people with autoimmune diseases are women, yet early symptoms are often misattributed to stress, anxiety, or “just getting older,” delaying treatment.
  
  
• Chronic fatigue syndrome (myalgic encephalomyelitis): Women are up to four times more likely to be diagnosed, yet research funding and treatment guidelines remain limited.
  
  
• Mental health: Almost 1 in 2 Australian women experience mental health issues, and 1 in 4 live with severe conditions but a recent study showed 43% of women do not seek support.

These aren’t isolated statistics — they’re the result of decades of gender bias in medicine, glaring research gaps, and a healthcare system that still wasn’t built with women in mind.

And that’s exactly why advocacy isn’t just “nice to have” — it’s life-changing.

‍The Social Script That Holds Us Back

As children, many of us are taught to be “good girls” — agreeable, polite, and not to “make a fuss.”

In healthcare settings, that social script can work against us. We downplay symptoms so we don’t seem dramatic, avoid asking follow-up questions so we’re not “difficult,” and accept rushed or dismissive answers because we don’t want to be a bother. 

But here’s the truth: But when it comes to your health, it’s your right to take up space. Politely advocating for yourself isn’t rude, ungrateful, or overreacting. It’s the opposite. It’s how you make sure you’re getting safe, accurate, and timely care.

Why Advocacy is Essential

When your health concerns are taken seriously and quickly acted on the results can be nothing short of life-changing. Your voice can help you receive accurate diagnoses and timely treatment.

Advocacy in healthcare means speaking up for yourself so that your needs, values, and experiences aren’t sidelined. It’s not about picking a fight; it’s about teaming up with your healthcare provider, not sitting quietly as a passive passenger.

And the proof? Research shows that patients that speak up for themselves — asking questions, clarifying results, and taking part in decision-making — have:

• Better treatment adherence and follow-through
• Higher satisfaction with their care:
• Improved health outcomes, including reduced hospital readmissions
• Lower stress and anxiety during treatment:

How to Advocate for Yourself in Healthcare

Advocacy doesn’t end when you step into the clinic, it starts long before and keeps going long after. Here’s how to take charge at every stage of your care — from prep to follow-up.

Before Your Appointment

• Know your goal: Write down the main reason you’re seeking care and what you hope to achieve (e.g., a diagnosis, symptom relief, a referral).
• Document your symptoms: Keep a symptom diary noting onset, frequency, severity, triggers, and impacts on daily life.
  Gather your records: Bring recent test results, scan reports, and a list of current medications or supplements.
• Prepare your questions: Prioritise them from most urgent to least, so you get the most important answers first.

During Your Appointment

• State your concerns clearly: Open with your most pressing issue and describe its impact.
• Ask clarifying questions: If you don’t understand a term, test, or treatment, say: “Can you explain that in plain language?”
• Confirm understanding: Repeat back what you’ve heard in your own words to ensure you’ve understood correctly.
• Discuss next steps: Ask: “What happens if this treatment doesn’t work?” or “What else could be causing this?”
• Bring a support person: A friend or family member can help take notes, remember details, and provide emotional support.

After Your Appointment

• Request your test results: Keep copies of results, imaging, and specialist letters in a personal health file.
• Follow up: If you haven’t heard back within the timeframe discussed, contact the clinic to check on results or referrals.
• Seek a second opinion: Especially if your symptoms persist, you’re unsure about a diagnosis, or you want to explore alternative treatments.
• Track progress: Note changes in symptoms, side effects, and how treatments are impacting your daily life.

Collective Advocacy: Changing the System

While self-advocacy can turn your own care around, collective advocacy helps rewrite the rules for everyone. Many of the biggest wins in women’s health — from expanded screening programs to updated treatment guidelines — only happened because enough people refused to stay quiet. And when voices join forces, the impact is hard to ignore.

Recent wins in Australia prove it:

• Endometriosis MRI access: After sustained lobbying by patient groups and clinicians, Medicare-funded pelvic MRI for endometriosis diagnosis became available in 2022, improving access to earlier diagnosis.
  
  
• Heart health guidelines: Advocacy from the Heart Foundation and women’s heart health researchers led to updated guidelines that reflect the differences in how heart attacks present in women.
  
  
• Cervical screening self-collection: Persistent campaigning by sexual health advocates and clinicians led to national access to self-collection for HPV testing, making it easier for more people to screen.

Joining an advocacy movement doesn’t have to mean standing on a stage or speaking to the media. You can:

• Sign petitions and write to MPs about women’s health priorities
• Participate in research studies to help close knowledge gaps (even research like ours at Hazel)
• Share your health story through advocacy organisations
• Volunteer for community health programs or awareness events

At Hazel, we believe your voice has the power to drive both personal and systemic change. That’s why we partner with patients, and researchers to push better access to care and a healthcare system that truly reflects women’s and gender-diverse people’s needs.

Your Voice, Your Health

Advocacy isn’t just about speaking up — it’s about changing the way healthcare works for you and for the women and gender-diverse people for generations to come. Every time you ask for clarity, request a test, or challenge a dismissal, you’re helping shift the culture of care toward one that listens, respects, and acts.

It’s not always easy, and you shouldn’t have to do it alone. That’s why Hazel is here — to provide evidence-based care, guide you through the system. Because when women are heard, women are healed. And when we advocate together, the system starts to listen.