Women in the UK are dying from cancers that receive less attention, fewer donations and drastically less funding than male-specific cancers – despite being more deadly and more common
In what is both shocking, but sadly not surprising, a new investigation has discovered that – despite being more common and deadlier – female-specific get less attention, fewer donations and drastically less funding than male-specific cancers.
That’s the finding from a new investigation by Jude, a female-led health brand best known for tackling taboos around bladder care.
Using publicly available data from Cancer Research UK and the UK Charity Register, Jude found that male cancers receive 20% more funding per case than female cancers, even though survival rates for women’s cancers are often far lower.
The biggest disparity was between testicular cancer and ovarian cancer. Testicular cancer has a survival rate of 91% and receives £5,354 per case in funding. By contrast, ovarian cancer patients only survive in 35% of cases yet receive just £1,132 per case in funding.
The chart below, and subsequent list, shows a clear imbalance.
If charts aren’t your thing, it shows (among other things) that ovarian cancer is three times more common than testicular cancer, and nearly three times as deadly, yet receives five times less funding per case.
FURTHER READING: #Vulvalution: Cult Beauty teams up with Lady Garden to get more people talking about gynaecological cancers
Jude “We’re not here to pit one cancer against another. Every single cancer deserves proper funding. But when we see these gaps, we have to ask: why are women’s cancers consistently getting less funding per case, despite worse survival rates?”, said Jude.
Jude According to Jude, the problem isn’t just numbers, it’s stigma.
Many of the cancers that affect women occur in parts of the body that society still finds uncomfortable to talk about. Gynaecological cancers, bladder issues, and anything involving women’s sex organs are often seen as taboo.
Side note: We have a sister site here at mamabella called MBman. When we publish content about female sexual wellness, it gets flagged by Google. When we post about male sexual wellness, it doesn’t.
Such silence has consequences. As Jude points out, the lack of awareness campaigns and public discourse around these conditions leads to fewer charities, less fundraising, and ultimately, fewer resources for research and treatment.
By contrast, male cancers have benefited from high-profile campaigns like Movember, which has helped normalise discussion and encourage funding for prostate and testicular cancers.
“When women’s cancers are treated as taboo, lives are lost” said Peony Li, Jude’s founder. “It’s time we had the equivalent of Movember for gynaecological cancers – something unapologetic, loud, and impossible to ignore. This isn’t about taking anything away from male cancers. It’s about funding based on need, not noise.”
Jude is calling for a shift in how we talk about, fund, and prioritise women’s health. Until we break the silence around these “awkward” cancers, the gap will persist – and so will the loss of lives that could have been saved. You can read the full report and campaign here.
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Victoria is founder and editor-in-chief of mamabella, freelance journalist and Mum. She has a passion for empowering people to feel beautiful whatever their age, size, skin type and budget
