A Blind Spot in Women's Health Measurement

Gynecological conditions deserve better accounting

GBD Measures Burden
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Shapes Funding
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Drives Cures

What the GBD Currently Counts (Global DALYs, 2021)

Other gyn.
15.8M (57%)
PMS
8.1M (29%)
Endometriosis
2.0M (7%)
PCOS
0.6M (2%)
Infertility
0.6M (2%)
Prolapse
0.4M (1%)
Fibroids
0.1M (1%)

What's Missing from the Estimates

Zero DALYs counted:

Urinary incontinence Vulvodynia Dyspareunia Menopause symptoms

Few DALYs counted:

Endometriosis PCOS Dysmenorrhea Morning sickness

Three Sources of Systematic Underestimation

Source #1: Data Gaps

Electronic health records miss conditions doctors may not record

Source #2: Missing Weights

Some conditions have no disability weight assigned, so they count as zero

Source #3: Cultural Bias

Conditions deemed "normal" (like postpartum symptoms) aren't counted as "unhealthy"

Read in the Lancet GBD Results Tool

Bilinski & Emanuel, The Lancet 2026