Give your feedback about women’s reproductive health

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has launched an online survey for women in England to gather vital data on menstrual health, contraception, pregnancy planning, and menopause. 

This survey is a key commitment in the Women’s Health Strategy and is open to all women in England aged 16 to 55 years.

It opened Thursday 7 September 2023 and will run for six weeks. 

DHSC is funding the survey, which will be delivered by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

Complete the survey

Why the survey is important

Women make up 51% of the population in the UK and on average live longer than men. Women also spend a significantly greater proportion of their lives in ill health and disability when compared with men, but the health and care system has been designed by men for men.

Women are asked to answer questions in the survey about:

• how much pain they experience during their periods
• how they prefer to access contraceptive services
• how satisfied they were with any support they received for menopausal symptoms

Survey findings will be used to better understand women’s reproductive health experiences over time. 

The vital information gathered about the lives and experiences of women will inform current and future government decision-making and health policy.

What's happened so far

Just over a year on from the launch of the Women’s Health Strategy:

• over 300,000 more women have accessed cheaper hormone replacement therapy
• new women’s health hubs are opening across the country in every integrated care board and
• a dedicated women’s health area has been added to the NHS website.

Further measures being introduced include:

• a new artificial intelligence tool to identify early risks in maternity units
• £25 million to be distributed across England so every area can create a women’s health hub
• a new IVF tool on GOV.UK so people can look up information about NHS-funded IVF treatments
• a new network of women’s health champions led by the Women’s Health Ambassador for England, Professor Dame Lesley Regan

A menopause employment champion has also been appointed, recruitment and employability expert Helen Tomlinson, to improve support for menopause in the workplace. 

Helen is working with the Department for Work and Pensions to create an online repository of menopause resources on GOV.UK for employers. 

The government has also awarded grant funding to charities across England to help employers make changes to their workplace to support women’s reproductive health, which includes menopause.