Beyond Fertility and Menopause: Addressing the Overlooked GI Gap in Women’s Health

With women making up more than half of the workforce, employers are investing in women’s health more than ever. A recent Business Group on Health survey revealed that 58% of employers plan to offer specialized women’s health benefits in 2026, and 83% of employers intend to launch at least one new women’s health strategy in the coming year. While most benefits focus on reproductive health—fertility, maternity, menopause—women’s health needs extend far beyond, spanning every stage of life.

One of the most common–yet often overlooked– causes of health challenges for women is gastrointestinal (GI) health. From hormonal changes that trigger GI flare-ups to cultural stigmas that keep women silent about digestive pain, it is estimated that more than 75% of women struggle with their GI health. 

Despite GI consistently being a top 4 cost driver, many companies fail to consider GI care as part of their women’s health strategy, leaving gaps in care, higher costs, and lost productivity. Forward-looking employers who want to offer comprehensive women’s health benefits must recognize GI care as a critical part of the solution. 

Why GI Hits Women Differently

Despite the undeniable evidence that women require increasing amounts of GI support, there’s still a lack of clear understanding around why GI health challenges are unique for women. So, how does digestive health differ from the other half of the population? Some of the most common issues women face when it comes to their GI health are:

• Hormonal fluctuations. Shifts in estrogen and progesterone levels throughout all adult life stages and secondary to other conditions and medications can affect gastrointestinal motility and sensitivity, resulting in GI symptoms ranging from reflux to bloating, indigestion, and constipation.  It also makes women more prone to visceral hypersensitivity, leading to heightened perception of pain and discomfort.
• The gut-brain connection. The interconnectedness of the gut and brain affects women in a variety of ways, often leading to increased rates of depression and anxiety in women suffering from GI symptoms.  Working women are often juggling raising families, building careers, and constantly multitasking, which further increases their risk of gut-brain dysregulation.  
• Gynecological health. Women with gut imbalances are at a higher risk for difficult menopausal transitions, breast cancer, ovarian cancer, and other gynecological conditions. Recent research has also shown a link between pelvic floor strength and  GI issues, leaving women prone to increasing digestive symptoms.
• Lifecycle health. Women’s bodies change as they go from puberty to fertility to menopause, and at each stage, they are at an increased risk for GI impacts. For example, pregnant women are especially prone to constipation, nausea, and vomiting. 
• Impact of common treatments: Medications through women’s hormonal stages, from oral contraceptives to fertility medications, are well known to cause gastrointestinal side effects due to subtle changes in women’s microbiomes and metabolic activity.
• Increased risk of chronic GI conditions. Regardless of age or life stage, women have an increased incidence of many gastrointestinal diseases, including  IBS and  FGIDs. 
• Stigmatization of GI conditions. GI is a specialty dominated by male practitioners, making it more difficult for women to access care. The stigma, in addition to fear and anxiety over care, often results in women ignoring symptoms until complications arise or they need expensive emergency care. 

Health equity gaps affect women across all areas of healthcare, particularly in GI. Many women find themselves suffering from GI symptoms in silence or seeking expensive emergency treatment when symptoms become unbearable. Why is this? 

• Outsized Impact: Women are more prone to digestive health issues, with GI symptoms taking a toll on every area of their lives. For example, women are  2X more likely to have their workday derailed by an IBS flare-up. 

• Lack of access to women’s health specialists: There’s a limited availability of specialists who understand the interplay between GI and women’s health, especially in specific geographic locations. Furthermore, many specialists suffer from inconsistent insurance coverage, such as nutrition and pelvic floor support. 

• Higher utilization: Women experience GI symptoms more often and consequently seek care more frequently. They are 16.9% more likely to visit the ER for GI symptoms. 

• The stigma around GI health: Women often avoid seeking care due to the stigma around digestive health, leading to progressive symptoms and expensive emergency care. 
• Increased rates of misdiagnosis: As many as 4 in 5 women feel like healthcare professionals don’t listen to them, leading to higher levels of mistrust and misdiagnosis.

With all these issues within the current health system that leave women’s GI issues largely ignored or invalidated, many women turn online for immediate and anonymous support that makes them feel heard. The problem is that online advice isn’t always accurate – leading them down expensive and unsustainable paths that often worsen their symptoms and delay effective care.

How Oshi is Uniquely Positioned to Support Women’s GI Health

Women’s bodies are unique and they deserve care that understands that. 

Women need clinicians who understand the unique needs of the female body. With a coordinated team of GI specialists and an innovative, collaborative care model, Oshi is able to get to the root cause of the problem and support women across all regions and life stages, removing digital health silos and delivering truly comprehensive care.

• Integrated care. Too often, women lack access to specialists who can address both digestive and women’s health concerns—Oshi’s virtual clinic bridges this gap by providing diagnostic support and in-depth clinical care to women nationwide.
• Multi-disciplinary team. Oshi’s team of specialists includes GI practitioners, GI registered dietitians, and behavioral health specialists.
• Whole person support. Oshi’s team collaborates with other women’s healthcare specialists to deliver personalized, holistic care.   

Women recognize that a prescription alone cannot fix a deeply rooted medical issue. They insightfully understand that their GI symptoms are tied to stress, diet, hormones, and lifestyle,  and they want care that addresses all of it.  While many may not realize this type of multidisciplinary care exists, they are seeking integrated care that combines support for nutrition, lifestyle changes, mental well-being, and medical care. With time stretched thin, they seek care options that are both accessible and realistic for their lives. Virtual integrated care meets that need–giving women credible support while breaking down barriers of access, stigma, and misunderstanding. 

Don’t just hear it from us – our female patients are feeling the impact first hand.

The Opportunity To Support Women’s Health

A woman’s health strategy isn’t complete without GI care. Digestive health has a disproportionately large impact on women, and GI flare-ups are especially disruptive to women in the workforce. Women who are in key career stages, juggling busy careers and families or navigating the uncertainties of postpartum and  menopause, are especially at risk. Struggles with unresolved chronic conditions could be the “last straw” that pushes high performers out of the workforce – with GI being the most common among these chronic issues. 

The truth is that if employers don’t invest in ways to support overall women’s health, costs will continue to rise, and health care gaps will emerge, creating even greater urgency. By pairing multidisciplinary evidence-based  GI solutions with women’s health benefits, employers create a system that is stronger, more supportive, and better equipped to care for the complex needs of the entire population – especially the valuable female members of their workforce.

Employers simply can’t afford to overlook GI. Connect with Oshi to explore how integrating digestive health into women’s benefits drives better outcomes and lower costs.