Ten Facts You Should Know About Women’s Health in Israel
Reported, December 24, 2011
1. Israeli women, like most women, live longer than men. But studies show that they perceive themselves in poorer health, they visit doctors more often and they take more medication than men.
2. Life expectancy for Israeli women ranks around 15th in the world. In contrast, the life expectancy of Israeli men is 2nd or 3rd in the world, along with Japanese and Swedish men.
3. Between the ages of 25-44, Israeli men are most likely to die of external causes. Women are most likely to die of cancer.
4. One in nine Israeli women is at risk of developing breast cancer at some point in her lifetime. It is the leading cause of death for women under 55.
5. The major cause of death for Israeli women 55+ is heart disease. Studies show that they are less likely than men to survive a heart attack, in part, due to the delay in seeking treatment and the tendency of doctors to ignore symptoms in women.
6. Female mortality rates for heart disease, cancer, and strokes are among the highest in developed countries. Male mortality rates are among the lowest.
7. Until recently, women have been excluded from research and clinical trials on important illnesses such as heart disease. Most research on women’s health in Israel has focused on either reproduction or women’s traditional care-giving roles as spouses, mothers, and nurses.
8. Women represent half of the graduates of Israel’s four medical schools and 50% of the medical licenses are granted to women. Despite this less than 20% of the residents in surgery, and 19% in the field of gynecology are women.
9. The number of women on medical faculties has grown from 12% to 22% in the last decade. But, less than 10% of the professors, and less than 20% of the associate professors are women. Israel’s medical schools still do not offer a single course on women’s health.
10. Women represent 70% of the total health care workers in Israel. But the number of women in policy and decision making positions as heads of hospitals, departments, etc. is minimal. Women are still concentrated in lower paying and less prestigious fields of family medicine and pediatrics, while men dominate in surgery, internal medicine, and gynecology.
Credits:http://www.la-briut.org.il/english/article/?id=1f32102c2557360d58f2de7d776c9196&did=15