If women's hormonal health is neglected, society as a whole will pay the price. Yet solutions do exist, and they can be implemented collectively.
A McKinsey report published in January 2024 indicates that most women are likely to be affected by health problems linked to their biological sex between the ages of 15 and 50. “Nearly half of the health burden affects women in their working years, which often has an impact on their ability to earn money and support themselves and their families,” it states.
According to a 2023 report, by the Menopause Foundation of Canada, women aged 40 and older represent 20% of today's workforce, i.e. five million of the country's twenty million workers. By 2040, there will be 27% more women aged 45-55 in the Canadian workforce.
It is difficult to estimate the number of women with hormonal disorders, since reporting is not mandatory and health ministries across Canada do not compile data on these cases.
According to The Endometriosis Network of Canada, two million people in Canada suffer from endometriosis, an inflammatory disease. What's more, one in five endometriosis sufferers has “lost or quit a job at some point during their life because of the disease.” The organization estimates the annual burden of this disease on the Canadian healthcare system at $2.5 billion.
“Because we're talking more about (women’s hormonal) illnesses, we have the impression that there are more cases, but the figures don't prove it, especially since there are no registries,” says Dr. Diane Francoeur, obstetrician-gynaecologist and CEO of the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada.
Daily impact
Nevertheless, hormonal diseases and disorders have been shown to have an impact on the daily lives of sufferers. According to a report by Manulife, nearly six out of ten women (59%) between the ages of 45 and 55 say that their menopausal symptoms have had a “negative impact” on their work performance.
“The best example of this is menopause: women will have a great career, and when they reach menopause they'll turn down opportunities because they're afraid of taking hormones, because they'll become insomniacs...” observes Dr. Hélène Lavoie, a reproductive endocrinologist at the Centre hospitalier universitaire de Montréal.
Data from the Menopause Foundation of Canada show that a quarter of women hid or tried to alleviate their menopausal symptoms at work; one in five survey respondents (22%) said they believed these symptoms could hinder their career progress.
The Foundation's 2023 report calculates that uncontrolled menopausal symptoms cost the Canadian economy $3.5 billion annually, representing 540,000 lost working days.
“What's most unfortunate is that when women are between the ages of 40 and 60, they're at the peak of their careers; but it's also during this time that they're generally mothers of teenagers and taking care of aging parents," says Dr. Lavoie. “All the stars are aligned to make it difficult for them to keep up the same pace at work.”
Faced with this seemingly insurmountable obstacle, many women choose to change careers or leave the workforce altogether.
According to the Menopause Foundation of Canada, 10% of Canadian women leave the workforce because of menopausal symptoms.
More women workers, more claims
This subject is being broached more in the workplace because of the impacts, but also because women entered the job market massively in recent decades.
“If there are more women in the workforce, there are bound to be more claiming disability benefits or salary insurance,” she sums up.
The two medical specialists are unanimous: the symptoms experienced by some women can be a source of great suffering.
“It's very debilitating, and can lead to monthly absenteeism," notes Dr. Lavoie. For some patients, it can go as far as spending several days in bed taking narcotics."
In addition, female hormonal disorders can also be experienced by trans or non-binary people.
And, for a reason that science has yet to explain, endometriosis has been observed in some men even though they don't have a uterus. We've found it in their lungs, in their ENT (Ear, Nose, Throat) system,” notes Hélène Lavoie, “It's still a mysterious disease.”
A win-win situation
Investing in better diagnosis and treatment of female hormone disorders and diseases would not only reduce women's absenteeism from the workforce, but also give the economy a boost, research suggests.
In its report, McKinsey reveals that investment in women's overall health would add $1 trillion to the global economy each year by 2040.
“The researchers took a cost-benefit approach and confirmed that by not letting women suffer, they return to work more quickly,” summarizes Dr. Francoeur.
Among the ten health issues that, if better diagnosed and treated, would have the greatest impact on gross domestic product are menopause ($120 billion), premenstrual syndrome ($115 billion), depressive disorders ($100 billion) and “other gynecological problems” ($69 billion).
The study also mentions that the return on investment is tangible when it comes to women's health: for every dollar invested, the subsequent economic growth is tripled.