This webinar on 10 March marked International Women’s Day. Over 40% of people living with Parkinson’s are women – that’s four million women worldwide and up to one third are under 60.
The reality is that the male image of the condition has slowed the progress in the care, treatment and research for women with Parkinson’s. This has led to many issues for women with Parkinson’s including: issues with diagnosis and even misdiagnosis; Parkinson’s symptoms being heavily impacted by the menstrual cycle, pregnancy and menopausal transition; a lack of clinical guidance on how to adjust medication to hormonal fluctuations as it has never been studied and is scarcely discussed with women with Parkinson’s; a lack of medical guidance for pregnancy and increased drug side-effects due to women absorbing more of the medication.
These topics are discussed with a panel of experts including women living with Parkinson’s, as we ask what is being done to meet the needs of women with Parkinson’s.
The panel includes:
Dr Indu Subramanian, Movement Disorder Specialist UCLA Hospital
Ariadna Tuset Laguna, Neuroscientist and researcher with special interest in sex/gender research in Parkinson’s
Sabela Avion, Parkinson’s Advocate, Co-founder Con P de Parkinson, a support organisation for women with Parkinson’s
Dr Kristi LaMonica, Parkinson’s Advocate, researcher chair of PD Avengers Wellness group
Dr Annelien Oosterbaan, Parkinson’s Advocate former Gynaecologist, Doctor with Parkinson’s with special interest in pregnancy in Parkinson’s
Richelle Flanagan, Parkinson’s Advocate, Registered Dietitian, Co-founder, My Moves Matter, a digital self-care companion for women with Parkinson’s
Sharon Krischer, Parkinson’s Advocate, founder of twitchywoman.com with peer support and Sunday morning webinars for women
Gaynor Edwards, Parkinson’s Advocate, founder and CEO of Spotlight YOPD – UK-based charity for Young Onset Parkinson’s launched in 2016.
Note: thanks to Carlos and Esther who were interpreters in the webinar (English and Spanish).