Executive summary

The Women’s Health Plan 2021-2024 aimed to improve health outcomes and health services for all women and girls in Scotland, underpinned by the acknowledgement that women face particular health inequalities and, in some cases, disadvantages because they are women.   

The current iteration of the plan came to an end in August 2024, and the Scottish Government is developing the next phase of women’s health work, with a view to launching the next plan in late 2025.  To ensure the next phase of the plan is evidence-based and rooted in young women’s lived experiences, the Scottish Government commissioned The Young Women’s Movement to conduct discussion groups with young women and girls.  

During this research, The Young Women’s Movement spoke to 31 young women and girls aged 12-18 in schools and youth work centres across Scotland (Inverclyde, Falkirk and Dumfries and Galloway) about their unique health needs and experiences.  

Most girls aged 12-15 told us that they have never really thought about their health needs in any depth, and that they weren’t used to talking to adults about access to healthcare, apart from their parents or trusted adults in their lives. When girls were asked about what aspects of health were most important to them, they mainly reflected on learning about menstrual health and hormonal health during puberty, though many didn’t have any understanding of women’s health beyond what they learn in school in biology lessons and Personal and Social Education (PSE) classes.   

Adolescent young women aged 16-18 described feeling like their health concerns were routinely blamed on anxiety, stress, hormones, and even imaginations. Most young women identified hormonal health as the most important aspect of health for their age group, and asked for more understanding and education around hormonal imbalances, including when they should seek healthcare if they are worried about any aspect of their hormonal health (for example, identifying mood swings versus premenstrual dysphoric disorder, recognising pimples versus extreme acne, etc).    

In all discussion groups, a substantial number of girls and young women told us that they have been told by healthcare professionals that their health issues were purely hormonal, and that they would “eventually grow out of it”.  This led to girls and young women feeling dismissed and unable to advocate for themselves in healthcare settings, with some even noting that it put them off seeking healthcare for an unrelated issue at a later date. In summary, girls and young women asked for more comprehensive health education to manage their unique health needs and to better understand their physical and mental health and wellbeing during and after puberty.