Sweden's Public Healthcare Fails Women on Menopause Care

The Swedish public healthcare system is demonstrably failing women, particularly concerning menopause care, according to Katarina Wilk and Monika Björn.

In a rebuttal published on SvD Debatt, they challenge the narrative presented by some doctors and researchers who expressed concern about menopause becoming a "health industry" driven by commercial interests and social media "experts."

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Sexual health has not been taken seriously.

Wilk and Björn argue that the very reason women are seeking care outside the public system is a direct consequence of the public system's shortcomings. They contend that the "commercial interests" and "self-proclaimed experts" are filling a void left by an inadequate public offering, rather than creating an entirely new, unnecessary market.

This perspective highlights a critical disconnect between the public health discourse, which often frames such issues as over-commercialization, and the lived experiences of patients who feel underserved by the official system. The authors implicitly suggest that a more robust and responsive public healthcare approach to menopause would naturally reduce reliance on private alternatives and the perceived "health industry."

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The representatives of public healthcare are missing the most essential thing – that there is a reason why women have sought care outside the public healthcare system.