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The government鈥檚 first ever Women鈥檚 Health Ambassador Dame Lesley Regan says the NHS in England is failing women.

She鈥檚 been speaking to Radio 5 Live鈥檚 Naga Munchetty, who was recently diagnosed with debilitating womb condition adenomyosis. Hundreds of women have contacted her programme with their own stories and struggles to get diagnosed.

Dame Lesley tells Naga she wants to make 2023 the year of menstrual health awareness: 鈥渂y the end of this year, make it just as common to talk about your period problems and knowing where to get help for your menstrual health鈥�. Most of the women you and I ever meet will have 12 periods a year for 40 years of their life and that鈥檚 an awful lot of suffering that doesn鈥檛 need to necessarily be there鈥�.

She also said that it was "unacceptable" that the NHS website still didn't have a dedicated page on adenomyosis and promised that would be rectified "soon".

Dame Lesley, who is a professor of obstetrics and gynaecology, was appointed just under a year ago to support the implementation of the Women's Health Strategy for England.

An NHS spokesperson said:

鈥淭he NHS takes women鈥檚 health very seriously and, in line with NICE guidance, we provide a wide range of treatments and support for many conditions, including adenomyosis and we will be working with the Department of Health and Social Care to look at how we can do more through the Women鈥檚 Health Strategy.

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said:

鈥淲e鈥檙e working hard through the first ever Women鈥檚 Health Strategy and with Dame Lesley as the government鈥檚 Women鈥檚 Health Ambassador to improve women鈥檚 lives.

鈥淭his is delivering results: we鈥檝e reduced the cost of Hormone Replacement Therapy, invested 拢25 million to accelerate the development of women鈥檚 health hubs, and are supporting women鈥檚 reproductive health in the workplace.

鈥淥ur strategy commits to creating a women鈥檚 health area on the NHS website and adding additional pages about conditions like adenomyosis. We鈥檙e also reducing waiting times and improving patient experience in gynaecology and urogynaecology.鈥�

This clip is from Naga Munchetty 6 June 2023.

Listen on 蜜芽传媒 Sounds.

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