Intro | Gender | Diversity | References

Introduction

Key statistics which demonstrate how gender impacts on women’s health are detailed below. Information regarding how diverse groups of women experience health and illness are also available. For access to a range of sex disaggregated data sources regarding women’s health, click on the Indicators in the left-hand menu.

Gender

• Breast cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer for women in Victoria[1].
• In Australia, there were 715 new incidences of cervical cancer in 2006 and 208 deaths from cervical cancer in 2007[2].
• 4.9% of Victorian women have diabetes[3].
• Breast cancer, depression and diabetes have the highest burden of disease (measured in Disability Adjusted Life Years or DALYs) for women aged 35 to 64 years[4].
• Cardiovascular disease is responsible for 54,664 DALYs in females[5].
• 83.5% of women have had their blood pressure checked in the past two years[6].
• 3.1% of all female deaths are attributable to heart failure[7].
• 40% of chlamydia infections among women were reported in the 20 to 24 year age group[8].

Diversity

Women with disabilities

• Younger women with disabilities aged 18 to 34 years rate their health status better than women aged over 35 years[9].
• 65% of women with disabilities aged 65 years and over are more likely to rate their health as ‘fair/poor’[10]. 

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women

• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women are four times more likely to have diabetes than non-Aboriginal women[11].
• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults are also 1.2 times more likely to be overweight or obese compared with non-Aboriginal adults, and this is greater for Aboriginal women than men[12].
• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women have a life expectancy at birth of approximately 17 years less than non-Aboriginal women[13].  

Same-sex attracted women

• Samesex attracted women are less likely to have regular Pap tests than heterosexual women [14].
• Samesex attracted women access other forms of health screening less frequently, delay treatment and are less likely to have a regular general practitioner [15].
• Increasing numbers of women are forming families within samesex relationships and so are needing pregnancy advice and care [16].

 

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top of pageReferences

[1]     Cancer Council Victoria. CANSTAT: Cancer in Victoria 2008; 2010 [cited 15 December 2010].

[2]     Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. Cervical screening in Australia 2007-08. Cat. No. CAN 50; 2010 [cited 15 December 2010].

[3]     Department of Health. Victorian Population Health Survey 2008; 2010 [cited on 9 December 2010].

[4]     Victorian burden of disease study: mortality and morbidity in 2001; 2005 [cited 9 December 2010].

[5]     Victorian burden of disease study: mortality and morbidity in 2001; 2005 [cited 9 December 2010].

[6]     Department of Health. Victorian Population Health Survey 2008; 2010 [cited on 9 December 2010]. 

[7]     Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. Australia’s Health 2010: The twelfth biennial health report of the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare; 2010 [cited 15 December 2010].

[8]     Department of Health. Victorian Infectious Diseases Bulletin. Volume 13, Issue 2;  2010 [cited 15 December 2010].  

[9]     Australian Bureau of Statistics. General Social Survey, Victoria, 2006. Table 4 Personal Characteristics, By Age – Females; 2007 [cited 15 December 2010].    

[10]     Australian Bureau of Statistics. General Social Survey, Victoria, 2006. Table 4 Personal Characteristics, By Age – Females; 2007 [cited 15 December 2010].

[11]     Australian Bureau of Statistics. The health and wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women: A snapshot., 2004-05. Australian Bureau of Statistics Cat. No. 4722.0.55.001; 2007 [cited 15 December 2010].  

[12]     Australian Bureau of Statistics. The health and wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women: A snapshot., 2004-05. Australian Bureau of Statistics Cat. No. 4722.0.55.001; 2007 [cited 15 December 2010]. 

[13]     Australian Bureau of Statistics. The health and wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women: A snapshot., 2004-05. Australian Bureau of Statistics Cat. No. 4722.0.55.00; 2007 [cited 15 December 2010]. 

[14]     Bailey J., Farquhar C., Owen C. & Whittaker D. Sexual behaviour of lesbians and bisexual women. Sexually Transmitted Infections. 2003; 79 (2): 147-50.

[15]     Bailey J., Farquhar C., Owen C. & Whittaker D. Sexual behaviour of lesbians and bisexual women. Sexually Transmitted Infections. 2003; 79 (2): 147-50.

[16]     McNair R., Dempsey D., Wise S. & Perlesz A. Lesbian parenting: Issues, strengths and challenges. Family Matters. 2002; 63.