Education Hub

Too many women are told their symptoms are just "normal." In this Health Hunter interview, Dr Sarah Farrell, Founder and Principal GP of Sydney Women's Wellness, unpacks why conditions like endometriosis and PCOS are so often missed, and why preventative care and education are key to better long term health outcomes.

Autism is far more common, and far more varied in how it presents, than many people realise. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, there were 290,900 Autistic Australians in 2022, a 41.8 per cent increase from 205,200 in 2018. Prevalence is higher in males than females, at 1.6 per cent compared with 0.7 per cent, though this gap has been narrowing, with the growth rate in identified autism among females considerably higher than among males between 2018 and 2022. This reflects a broader, well recognised issue, autism has historically been underdiagnosed in girls and women, partly because diagnostic tools were developed based on how autism tends to present in boys and men.

Many women in their 40s and 50s find themselves feeling exhausted, emotionally overwhelmed, forgetful, and unlike themselves. The demands of work, family, relationships and everyday responsibilities make it easy to assume these changes are simply the result of stress or burnout. What many women don't realise is that these experiences may actually be linked to perimenopause.

Endometriosis is far more common than most people realise, and for many women, it’s an exhausting and often invisible struggle. In Australia, around 1 in 7 women are living with endometriosis, yet the symptoms can look different for everyone.

As a qualified Diabetes Educator, with over 35% of Australian adults estimated to have Metabolic Syndrome, a cluster of risk factors for Type 2 Diabetes and cardiovascular disease [1] and millions already living with Type 2 Diabetes itself [2], it’s a topic close to many of our hearts.

If you’re a woman over 40, chances are you’ve been told some version of this familiar advice: "Eat better. Move more. Stress less." It sounds simple. But as a GP who specialises in Lifestyle Medicine, I can tell you: vague health advice like this isn’t enough. Women often come to me feeling frustrated and exhausted. They've tried to clean up their diets, commit to morning walks, or squeeze in some meditation, but it never seems to stick. Without structure or support, these attempts become short-lived, often followed by guilt and self-blame. The truth is: it's not your fault.