In 2025, 1bn women reached menopause, which is about 12% of the global population.
In Australia, severe period pain still impacts about 90% of local women, with 40% losing workdays as a result. At the same time, about 17% of women aged 45 to 55 require extended leave due to menopause symptoms.
This reflects a reduction in productivity in women of different age groups. Importantly, women influence around 80% of healthcare spending. In other words, supporting women’s health supports the whole family.
These insights were shared by Dr Novita Puspasari, Scientific Affairs Manager at H&H Group, at Growth Asia Summit 2026.
“Ironically, 40% of Australian women lack understanding of what’s happening with their body when they are going through perimenopause or menopause. There’s also a preference towards vitamins, minerals, and supplements (VMS) compared to prescription medicines or treatment like Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT),” she said.
“Closing the gap in women’s health is significant because it means that 3.9b women live healthier lives, which can really boost the global economy output.”
Changing the conversation
Nevertheless, there is a new generation of women who are shifting the narrative and shaping cultural attitudes, while mainstream media and social platforms are playing a powerful role in destigmatizing women’s health.
“These conversations and awareness are doing more than raising visibility. They are educating the public, helping people understand what’s normal and what isn’t, and breaking down long‑standing stigma and social barriers,” said Dr Novita.
In 2025, the Australian Government declared women’s health as a “national priority”, which translates to greater investment into initiatives that can improve women’s quality of care as well as efforts to close the education gap that still exists among healthcare practitioners.
This is said to be due to mounting public pressure and advocacy, and the recognition that this area has been underfunded for years.
“The most important thing that can come out from this, in my opinion, is the fact that the government is also reshaping the narrative that women’s health is part of our core health and not a niche.
“Given the growing focus highlighted by both government action and media platforms, and as the conversation around women’s health becomes more open, the demand for credible, effective and science‑backed solutions will only continue to rise. As a company, we feel the responsibility to understand the space better and see where the growth opportunities are.”
To understand consumer needs and behaviors, H&H Group commissioned a research study involving 778 Australian women aged 20 and above who are likely to consider purchasing VMS products within the next 12 months.
Based on the data, there is strong interest in supplements that address specific health needs or symptoms across multiple categories, with one in three saying that they would consider purchasing women’s health supplements.
Additionally, it was found that women (47%) are more likely than men (18%) to recognize the benefit of women’s VMS on hormonal balance.
Women are also more likely to consider VMS addressing hormonal health or hormonal balance, with the strongest consideration among those from the age groups of 35 to 44 and 45 to 54.
Investing in RWE research
During her presentation, Dr Novita pointed out the role of enablers—including technology, digital tools, and community support networks—to bridge the knowledge gap.
One enabler that H&H is investing in is real-world evidence (RWE) research.
The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) definition of RWE refers to data regarding the usage or potential benefits or risks of a therapeutic good derived from sources other than traditional clinical trials. Sources of real-world data include disease registries, electronic medical records, observational and pragmatic studies, wearables, and mobile apps.
While randomized controlled trials (RCTs) are the gold standard to determine efficacy, they do not always reflect real-world outcomes due to the strict inclusion and exclusion criteria.
RWE, however, is usually conducted on diverse and general populations, thereby providing insights into product effectiveness, consumer perception, and usage patterns and behaviors in everyday consumers.
It is also able to capture softer but equally important outcomes such as quality of life, sleep quality, and mental well-being.
Similar to Phase IV post-marketing surveillance study in the pharmaceutical industry, RWE research can provide a continuous feedback loop that evaluates a product’s performance under actual market conditions.
This approach enables the collection of population-level real world data to inform product development and consumer-centric innovations.
“This could drive product differentiation through credible evidence, and there’s a chance to educate consumers on felt benefits beyond what is communicated on-pack and as permitted by the TGA,” Dr Novita said.
“Women’s health extends far beyond period and menopause support, spanning every stage of life and every dimension of well-being. Innovation at H&H is still in its early days. We are only beginning to unlock what’s possible in women’s health.”
Reframing ingredients through the lens of women’s health is important for suppliers to unlock new relevance, while brands play a pivotal role in delivering reliable, evidence-backed content and reducing the prevalence of misinformation.
“Let’s not forget that before 1993, it was not mandatory to include women in research. So with this long-standing historical research gap, the way forward is for our innovation to evolve alongside emerging research.”
