AN OPEN LETTER FROM SWISSE
To anyone who has experienced, witnessed, supported or advocated through a women's health challenge or condition.
Women's health is finally getting the attention it deserves. Conversations are happening, advocacy is growing, and awareness is increasing more than ever before. But as change emerges, a disappointing history remains evident - that women's pain, symptoms and health conditions have been minimised, dismissed or explained away.
For generations, "hysterical" became shorthand for women being told they were overreacting when experiencing physical or mental health concerns. Historically, the term stems from "hysteria", a now-discredited diagnosis once used to dismiss women's symptoms and emotions.
We Are Hysterical is an initiative by Swisse that aims to give the word hysteria a new meaning, turning it into a call for greater conversation, education, research and advocacy for the health of women and people with female reproductive systems.
In 2023-24, only 3.3% of Australian health research funding went to women's health*, and many women and people with female reproductive systems continue to face significant barriers to diagnosis, treatment and research funding.
Since 1990, we've created supplements to support women's health. Our range is specifically formulated to provide targeted support for cognition, energy, and key dietary nutritional needs for women like iron. As we deepen our understanding/knowledge of the various needs states of women our focus turns to supporting hormonal health across key
life stages, including the menstrual cycle and the menopause transition.
Over the years, our range has become increasingly tailored to women’s evolving health needs. We remain committed to innovating across key need states, using clinically researched ingredients supported by scientific evidence generated specifically in women at different life stages.
While supplementation is only one support option, we believe that as a health brand creating products for women, we have a responsibility to help drive a broader conversation about the funding, research and education that women deserve.
We don't have all the answers, but we are committed to supporting organisations already making a difference, including Endometriosis Australia, Ovum and the Monash HER Centre. You can learn more about these organisations, and where our women's health funding goes, below.
We're hysterical about women's health, and we hope you are too.
WHY YOU SHOULD CARE
THE STATS SAY IT ALL
For decades, women's health has been underfunded, under-researched, and underserved. Significant gaps remain across research, diagnosis, and treatment.
THE EVIDENCE USED IN OUR CAMPAIGN
The statistic referenced in our campaign is based on findings published by Holton et al. (2025), which reported that approximately 3% of Australian health research funding was specifically directed to women's health between 2023-2024. The study analysed funding from multiple sources including NHMRC, MRFF and ARC.
We acknowledge that research funding can be analysed and categorised in different ways, and that different datasets may produce different findings. However, the broader message remains that there is an ongoing need to improve understanding of women's health and support continued research across the many health conditions that affect women throughout their lives.
This campaign was created to help raise awareness of the importance of women's health, encourage informed conversations, and shine a light on areas where further research and investment may help improve outcomes for women. Our intention is not to diminish the important investments already being made in Australia, but to contribute to the conversation around the continued need for research, awareness and investment in women's health.
This is just the beginning, and we look forward to continuing to support and contribute to meaningful progress in women's health.
Holton et al. (2025), ‘Women deserve better’: a national mixed-methods exploration of the ‘silent’ health conditions and social issues affecting women and girls in Australia. BMC Women's Health 26, 60. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12905-025-04236-7
YOUR WOMEN'S HEALTH RESOURCE HUB
If you've ever put off an appointment, wondered if you're overthinking your symptoms, or questioned whether it's worth speaking up about something; these trusted resources can help you better understand and advocate for your health.
LEARN
THE QUESTIONS WORTH ASKING
Low health literacy levels can result in less access to services, less understanding of issues related to health, poorer health management, and social isolation*.
To help you feel more informed and confident when discussing your health, have a read of some conversation prompts below.
SUPPORT WOMEN'S HEALTH TODAY, AND BEYOND
HOW WE'RE INVESTING IN WOMEN'S HEALTH SCIENCE
SO, WHAT IS SWISSE DOING?
THE IMPACT BEYOND OUR PRODUCTS
As a business, we've introduced initiatives such as menopause leave and pregnancy loss leave, but we know there's more work to do. Here are some of the organisations we're proud to support.
ONE IN FIVE
In 2023, we expanded our One in Five partnership with Monash University and HER Centre Australia to help advance women's mental health research.
Since then, we’ve invested over $280k in research aimed at closing the gender health gap, and we have plans to continue our investment into the future.
The research projects include:
- Menopausal Depression Pilot Trial: Investigating new treatment pathways for menopausal depression.
Learn more: Cognition and Hormones Research
- Eating Disorders Fellowship: Exploring the biological drivers of eating disorders and potential new treatments through THRED (Transformative Hub for Research into Eating Disorders).
Swisse x Endometriosis Australia
Through our partnership with Endometriosis Australia's EndoAcademy Nurses Scholarship Program, we’re helping fund specialised training for nurses to better recognise, treat and support women living with endometriosis. To date, our investment is helping EndoAcademy Nurses Scholarship Program reach their goal of training 100 nurses by 2027.
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