Ahead of International Women’s Day (IWD) on Sunday, two champions of women’s health, Professor Beverley Vollenhoven AM and Professor Kirsten Palmer, share their insights on innovations in pregnancy and endometriosis care at Monash Health.
Both clinicians are passionate contributors to closing the gap in men and women’s healthcare, and support UN Women Australia’s theme for IWD 2026, ‘Balance the Scales’.
Delivering for women
Monash Health delivers care to a quarter of women in Victoria.
Every year Monash Health Women’s provides:
- more than 14,000 outpatient gynecology appointments
- approximately 95,000 antenatal appointments
- more than 4,600 gynaecology surgeries
- and delivers one in 7 babies born in the state
The health service is committed to advancing women’s health — an area of care that has historically been overlooked around the world.
As part of this effort, Monash Health is supporting a world-first, in-pregnancy clinical trial into a new treatment for a severe, often debilitating, form of pregnancy-related nausea and vomiting, hyperemesis gravidarum (HG).
We are the only health service in Victoria participating in the trial.
HG may last for the duration of pregnancy, and there are currently no therapies that address its cause.
‘There are unfortunately still huge issues in attitudes towards pregnant women, and a downplaying of the challenges they are experiencing, and normalising of things that we shouldn’t be accepting or tolerating, such as hyperemesis,’ said Professor Kirsten Palmer, the Head of Maternal Fetal Medicine at Monash Health, and Deputy Director for the Monash Centre for Health Research and Implementation.
‘We have hope in the future that we can offer women in our care a targeted treatment that is designed specifically for the physiological issue they are experiencing, rather than trying to retrofit drugs that are ineffectual.’ Professor Kirsten Palmer
Historically, women have been underrepresented or excluded from clinical trials.
‘Men are still considered the “average” person, so in this area we still have a long way to go,’ said Professor Beverley Vollenhoven, Service Medical Director of Gynaecology and Fertility at Monash Health.
‘Women are half the population, but they certainly don’t have half the say.’
Multidisciplinary care for endometriosis
There have been significant advancements in women’s health care in recent history.
In her role at Monash Health, Professor Vollenhoven has overseen the growth of our gynaecology service, establishing an outpatient gynaecology service at Dandenong Hospital and launching Australia’s first public multidisciplinary endometriosis clinic at Monash Health.
‘We pioneered the first naturopath to come to our clinic and provide holistic care for our patients, which achieved true multidisciplinary care for endometriosis,’ she said.
Prof Vollenhoven has forged new pathways for women in medicine, becoming the first woman to be appointed Head of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Monash University. She is proud of the impactful research that has been achieved through the close partnership between the university and health service.
‘A lot of our clinical trials are run through Monash University, but with hospital patients, which is unique.’
Elevated awareness
While pleased to hear women are increasingly talking about their health and seeking out care, Professor Vollenhoven cautions that not all women are.
‘Women are more proactive about their health, but that proactiveness is socio-economically driven. Women of a certain culture and high socio-economic status drive that proactiveness.’ Professor Beverley Vollenhoven
She says information provided to women about their health needs to be clear, culturally appropriate, and inclusive.
Professor Palmer warns that efforts to advance women’s care are being hampered by misinformation online, and within communities.
‘Algorithms put people into a space where they are constantly peppered with misinformation which leads them to make decisions that can have ramifications for their health.’
‘The best thing we can do is to put reliable information into those forums to give an opportunity for a balanced perspective.’
Closing the gap between men and women’s health care will take decades, according to Professor Palmer.
‘So, ongoing investment in women’s health is crucial to give us a chance to catch up.’
