Women's health issues have long been ignored or dismissed by medical professionals, but social media has proven to be a powerful tool for empowering women, raising awareness, and demanding better health care.

Jennifer Read-Dominguez, founder of The Women's Journal, argues the importance of this digital shift in empowering women to take back control of their mental and physical health, closing the gender health gap.

Through social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok, women are increasingly sharing their health stories, exchanging medical experiences, and crowdsourcing information about conditions doctors often misunderstand or ignore.

Medical professionals and society have traditionally downplayed conditions such as endometriosis, and fibromyalgia, and often misdiagnosed mental health conditions in women like ADHD and autism. However, social media has made women realise they're not alone in their struggles thanks to its reach and community.

Jennifer explains how social media is empowering women to close the gender health gap. “Social media has allowed women to reclaim their health narratives. For years, intuitive women who know their bodies have been told by doctors that their pain or concerns were simply 'in their heads' or that they’re overreacting. But through the rise of digital and social platforms, women are sharing their stories, and others are recognising their symptoms through this. This collective voice is leading to increased self-awareness, faster identification of potential health issues, and ultimately more women seeking second opinions or demanding thorough examinations.”

"This evolution of digital knowledge is playing a game-changing role in closing the gender health gap. For too long, women have been left with no answers or proper care due to the patriarchy and the medical establishment's unwillingness and failure to recognise and address women's unique health challenges. In this digital age of new and relatable social content, more women than ever before are sharing intimate and often invisible struggles, amplifying conversations that were once silenced. Social media is proving to be an empowering lifeline for many women across the globe,” Jennifer continues.

“Social media platforms aren't just for entertainment anymore - they're educational spaces where important conversations take place about mental and physical health," she continues. “When a woman stumbles across a post that speaks to her lived experience, it can become a moment of realisation or awakening. It makes her realise that she's not alone, that her symptoms are real, and that other women are also experiencing the same issues as her. That validation is crucial, especially for those whose concerns have been dismissed by trusted healthcare providers.”

Jennifer also points out the possibility of change within the healthcare system itself. “The more women who share their experiences, the more pressure is placed on the medical community to listen and evolve. It’s not just about self-diagnosis - it’s about empowerment and the fight for equality in healthcare. With new evidence and confidence in being part of a social community that their women’s intuition was right all along, women can now hold medical professionals accountable.”

Women of all generations are taking advantage of social media's wealth of information and community, from Gen X and millennial women to Gen Z. As the gender health gap slowly narrows, social media continues to be a key tool for educating, supporting, and mobilising all women.