AMA Victoria has called for the government to release the Victorian women’s pain inquiry report, which has not yet been finalised or made public.

Speaking to the ABC, our Immediate Past President Dr Jill Tomlinson said: “For too long Victorian women and girls haven’t had their pain treated adequately, and certainly many women report that their experience of seeking care has been inadequate. We need to address that.”

She said the failure to appropriately treat women went beyond “bikini health”, or conditions relating to the reproductive system. “There’s actually implications for women’s healthcare in cardiovascular health, in renal health,” she said.

Dr Tomlinson said changes had to be made in medical education, and research, as well as in the consultation room. “We need to get on with the urgent work of addressing the problems that have been identified in the women’s pain inquiry. I certainly urge the government to release it as soon as possible.”

This builds on AMA Victoria’s longstanding advocacy to end gender bias in healthcare. You can hear more in this message from Dr Tomlinson, recorded during her presidency.