Women’s Health Products Working Group, Meeting 7

We hosted the seventh meeting of the Women’s Health Products Working Group (WHPWG) on 30 July 2024. 

The WHPWG is comprised of representatives from consumer groups, health professionals, industry, academia, and senior officials from the Department of Health and Aged Care.

The following topics were presented:

• Gender equity in medical research. The NHMRC/MRFF’s statement on Sex, Gender, Variations of Sex Characteristics and Sexual Orientation in Health and Medical Research was presented. The statement aims to improve health outcomes by understanding historical gender-based gaps in research, enhancing data collection on sex and gender, promoting gender equity in research funding and ensuring diverse representation in studies.
• Insights from the International Medical Device Regulators Forum (IMDRF) on health equity considerations in medical device regulation.
• Women’s mental health concerns during menopause with an emphasis on the need for improved diagnostic tools, better treatment approaches, gaps in current treatment options and the need for further research in how best to support women during menopause.
• A recent study concerning potential heavy metal exposure in tampons, noting that the levels detected as part of the study were deemed unlikely to pose any health risks in association with tampon usage. 

The next WHPWG meeting is tentatively scheduled to be held in Melbourne on 30 October 2024.