In an Australian-first, the Victorian Government has launched the Victorian Women’s Pain Standard, which it says sets clear expectations for how health services recognise, assess and respond to pain in female patients.
The Standard follows the state’s landmark Inquiry into Women’s Pain, which heard from over 13,000 women and girls, revealing experiences of medical bias, sexism and dismissal.
“Women must be heard, believed and treated with respect when seeking care. It’s as simple as that,” said Minister for Health, Ingrid Stitt.
The Government says the Standard recognises the expertise of health professionals and provides a basis for learning and improvement.
Created alongside clinicians, experts and everyday Victorian women, the Standard is guided by four key principles:
- Women must be taken seriously and believed when discussing their pain;
- Women must be listened to and supported to ask questions and express their concerns;
- Women must be respected as partners in decisions about their body, treatment and care;
- Women must be given choices and practical support to manage their pain safely and effectively.
It will be embedded at all public health services, including the state’s 20 Sexual and Reproductive Health Hubs and 20 Women’s Health Clinics.
For more information, please visit health.vic.gov.au/womens-health-and-wellbeing-program/victorian-painstandard.
