Reproductive health conditions: girls and young women

Women and Equalities Committee Open Inquiry
Opened: 24 Jul 2025 Parliament page
The Committee is following up its previous work on women’s reproductive health, with a focus on better meeting the needs of girls and young women. It is assessing progress in diagnoses, treatments and pain management of conditions including endometriosis, adenomyosis and heavy menstrual bleeding.
29 Recommendations
14 Conclusions
1 Report
5 Oral sessions
5 Events
Activity timeline 7 events
26 May
2026
Report published
4 Mar
2026
Report published
3 Feb
2026
Oral evidence
21 Jan
2026
Oral evidence
17 Dec
2025
Oral evidence
3 Dec
2025
Oral evidence
19 Nov
2025
Oral evidence
Oral evidence sessions 5 sessions
3 Feb 2026
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Women and Equalities Committee
Baroness Merron · Department of Health and Social Care Dr Sue Mann · NHS England Tabitha Jay · Department for Health and Social Care
21 Jan 2026
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Women and Equalities Committee
Dr Sue Mann · NHS England Professor Dame Lesley Regan
17 Dec 2025
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Women and Equalities Committe
Charlotte Porter · The College of Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare Kate Lancaster · Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) Professor Margaret Ikpoh · Royal College of General Practitioners Ruth Bailey · Women's Health Forum, Royal College of Nursing
3 Dec 2025
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Women and Equalities Committee
Chella Quint OBE Dr Aziza Sesay Dr Nighat Arif Dr Tori Ford · Medical Herstory Kerry Wolstenholme
19 Nov 2025
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Women and Equalities Committee
Dr Nandi Simpson · NHS Race and Health Observatory Emma Cox · Endometriosis UK Janet Lindsay · Wellbeing of Women Katharine Gale · Menstrual Health Coalition
Title HC No. Published Items Response
12th Report – Menstrual health of girls and young women HC 1265 4 Mar 2026 43 Responded
Recommendations & Conclusions
6 results
Clear
1 Conclusion Acknowledged
12th Report – Menstrual health of …
We welcome the changes to the statutory guidance on relationships and sex education and health...
We welcome the changes to the statutory guidance on relationships and sex education and health education (RSHE). They are the crucial first step towards ensuring all girls have an adequate understanding of their menstrual cycle and know when and how … Read more
Government Response
The government welcomes the committee's comments on RSHE guidance, highlighting past training funding and a recently announced £2m for 2024/25 RSHE teacher training (focused on online harms/mental health, with menstrual health also considered). It states DfE will work with DHSC and stakeholders on training and resources, and notes the RSHE guidance is currently under review.
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8 Conclusion Acknowledged
12th Report – Menstrual health of …
School nurses can play a crucial role in helping girls recognise menstrual problems and provide...
School nurses can play a crucial role in helping girls recognise menstrual problems and provide a necessary, early pathway to appropriate care. However, the school nurse system has seen a substantial overall reduction in funding over many years and is … Read more
Government Response
The government acknowledges the crucial role of school nurses and their under-resourcing, stating that the refreshed Women’s Health Strategy will aim to improve provision, and NHS England has committed to increasing school nurse numbers by 2030 as part of the Long Term Workforce Plan.
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13 Recommendation Acknowledged
12th Report – Menstrual health of …
Countering women’s health misinformation through increased official and accurate social media content is vital and...
Countering women’s health misinformation through increased official and accurate social media content is vital and should be a key part of the renewed Women’s Health Strategy. The renewed Strategy must include a clear plan with measurable actions and targets to … Read more
Government Response
The government agrees social media is vital for health information and states DHSC is developing a social media content plan to promote the Women’s Health Strategy, with updates in the annual report. It also references the Online Safety Act and ongoing engagement with platforms to address online information suppression.
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15 Conclusion Acknowledged
12th Report – Menstrual health of …
The suppression of vital online information about women’s health is a pressing issue, which requires...
The suppression of vital online information about women’s health is a pressing issue, which requires immediate action. The assurances provided to us by the Minister were inadequate. We do not share the Government’s confidence that the Online Safety Act 2023’s … Read more
Government Response
The government agrees on the vital role of social media in health information and is developing a social media content plan for the Women's Health Strategy. It maintains confidence in the Online Safety Act and Ofcom's future role in monitoring platform compliance, while also noting the NHS already has a robust process for third-party content.
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16 Recommendation Acknowledged
12th Report – Menstrual health of …
The Government must hold social media platforms to account for inappropriate censorship of important women’s...
The Government must hold social media platforms to account for inappropriate censorship of important women’s health content. “Shadow banning” is unacceptable and must cease. Social media companies must 71 recognise the significant role they play in girls’ and women’s access … Read more
Government Response
The government agrees social media is vital for health information and mentions developing a social media content plan for the Women’s Health Strategy. It references the Online Safety Act and Ofcom’s role in monitoring platform compliance with duties regarding harmful content, and states it continues to engage with platforms to understand online information suppression.
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17 Conclusion Acknowledged
12th Report – Menstrual health of …
FemTech apps such as period trackers have the potential to transform girls’ and women’s understanding...
FemTech apps such as period trackers have the potential to transform girls’ and women’s understanding of, and ability to advocate for, their menstrual health and wellbeing. The 2022 Women’s Health Strategy, however, was not sufficiently alert to the risks. These … Read more
Government Response
The government acknowledges the potential and risks of FemTech apps, stating it has commissioned NICE to develop evidence standards and MHRA to create a new regulatory framework. It commits to exploring increased resourcing for the NHS Innovation team and including digital health priorities in the Women's Health Strategy annual report.
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Government Response AI assessment · 28 of 29 classified
Accepted 17
Accepted in Part 4
Acknowledged 6
Rejected 1
Total 29 recs + 14 conclusions