Ms WHITE (Lyons—Assistant Minister for Women, Assistant Minister for Health and Aged Care and Assistant Minister for Indigenous Health) (09:01): Today marks the start of Women's Health Week, a week in which we shine a light on women's health. We know that women use healthcare services more than men do, but too often this means they also pay more, face higher out-of-pocket costs and sometimes miss out on affordable, accessible care simply because women's health has not been a focus in the health system. Sex and gender bias in the health system is real. Women experience delayed diagnosis, overprescription and inadequate investigation of symptoms. Many women tell me that they have to keep going back and forth, repeating their story, just to be taken seriously, so it's no wonder we see women accessing the healthcare system more than men do. Women spend more in out-of-pocket costs and yet are less likely to receive the appropriate care, management and support that they need. For women and girls and intersex, transgender and gender-diverse people, their pain is often ignored or dismissed altogether. Women's Health Week is an important reminder of the work we need to do to improve the health system to better support the health and wellbeing of all women and girls in Australia. It's also an opportunity to celebrate what we've achieved and to ensure the pace of change continues. This year's Women's Health Week theme is 'Say yes to you'. It's about encouraging women to make their health and wellbeing a priority. Too often, women put their own health and wellbeing last. Women's health is a priority for this government and for me. As Assistant Minister for Women, Assistant Minister for Health and Aged Care and Assistant Minister for Indigenous Health, I feel genuinely privileged to have been given responsibilities for these portfolios, to continue the work of Assistant Minister Ged Kearney and Minister Butler in improving health outcomes for women in Australia and to now work with Minister Gallagher, Minister Plibersek and Assistant Minister Kearney on turning around the gender-equality issues that are present in our society. In the time I've been in these roles I've been overwhelmed by the number of women I've met who've shared stories with me about their health and their experiences with the healthcare system—stories of frustration, resilience and hope. Their voices are guiding the work that we do. Mr Speaker, I want to share one of those stories with you today. Melissa was only 42 when perimenopause turned her life upside down. The Melbourne mum of four was working full time when she suddenly faced a wave of symptoms she never expected to hit so hard, including hot flushes, weight gain, joint pain, hair loss, brain fog and even acne. As first, Melissa resisted the idea of medication like menopausal hormone therapy. She said: I didn't listen to the conversation around menopausal hormone therapy. I felt this self-imposed pressure to manage it all naturally. But eventually, I went on MHT, and I only wish I'd done it sooner. She described the change as life altering and said: MHT has had a significantly positive impact on my life. It improved my night sweats, hot flushes, sleep and helped with the psychological impacts like anxiety, and even supported my bone health. It's helped improve my quality of life. Melissa has been on MHT for years, and she says the recent inclusion of many MHT products on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme is one of the most positive changes she's seen for women in their midlife. She said: For me, personally, it's made treatment more affordable and easier to access. Thanks to these changes I now have longer scripts and discounts—it's just made everything simpler. I was so encouraged to see action from the Senate inquiry so quickly, and it's already making a real difference. Having access to MHT will help make it easier for midlife women to thrive in their careers and lives. Stories like Melissa's tell me that the Albanese government is making a difference by strengthening Medicare and filling in the gaps in women's healthcare delivery. Our government has engaged with women, with people who have lived experience and delivered reforms that are significant improvements for women in Australia already. I recently chaired my first National Women's Health Advisory Council, a mix of peak stakeholder groups, consumer groups, academics and professional bodies. The council members contribute a wealth of knowledge, expertise and lived experience to inform all aspects of women's health. I was pleased to provide the council with an update on the work the Albanese government are delivering as part of the $792.9 million women's health package that they've advocated for and supported throughout its development. This is one of the largest investments in women's health by any government. When they asked us to take women's health care seriously, we listened. We're delivering informed policy and unprecedented funding to provide more choices, lower costs and better health care for all women, at all stages of their lives. These changes are saving women and their families thousands of dollars across their lifetimes. Whether that's by making medicines and appointments cheaper or by making services more accessible, more than 365,000 patients have accessed more than 715,000 prescriptions for oral contraceptions, menopausal hormone therapies and endometriosis treatment since the listing of new medicines on the PBS on 1 May. Before the listings of Yaz, Yasmin and Slinda on the PBS, women were paying around $380 per year for their contraception. Now they're paying less than half, about $126.40, which is $38.80 a year if they're a concession card holder. Before the listing of Estrogel, Prometrium and Estrogel Pro on the PBS, women might have paid up to $670 a year. Now they're only paying $31.60 a script or $7.70 if they're a concession card holder. Thanks to the cheaper medicines bill passing, they'll be just $25 from 1 January next year. More than 20,000 women have now taken up new perimenopause and menopause health assessments since they became subsidised on the MBS on 1 July this year. The women's health package is providing training to more doctors and nurses to deliver better health care for women, expanding access to services, and making medicines cheaper. These changes sit alongside our government's work to strengthen Medicare and deliver more bulk-billing, more doctors and nurses in local communities and more urgent care clinics and cheaper medicines. These reforms are already making a real difference, especially for women in Australia as the highest users of health services, and there is more being done. This week, Jean Hailes for Women's Health launched Her Health Check. It's a fast, digital tool that helps women understand which health checks and screenings they may need. We know that 42 per cent of Australians don't know what health checks they need and one-third are overdue. That's why this tool is so valuable. Through your smartphone or laptop, Her Health Check provides information on essential health assessments, including heart, bowel, breast, cervical, skin, kidney, menopause and lung cancer screening. Based on current medical guidelines and reviews by clinical experts, it's designed to cut through confusion and support early detection. Importantly, it includes tailored advice for First Nations women and will expand to cover different languages and provide follow-up reminders. Her Health Check is a powerful way for women to stay on top of their health. So, today, I encourage every woman to take a few minutes for herself. Try Her health Check and consider sharing with your friends and family that they need to make their health a priority. By doing this one simple thing you can 'Say yes to you' in a practical way. We're also launching a national training project that will increase access to long-acting birth control, like IUDs and Implanon. Delivered by Sexual and Reproductive Health Australia and the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners, this Albanese government funded project will see more general practitioners, nurse practitioners, registered nurses and endorsed midwives trained in providing long-acting reversible contraception services. More than 1,230 participants are expected to be trained in IUD and Implanon placement and removal over the next two years. In addition, from 1 November 2025, new Medicare items and changes for long-acting, reversible contraception will take effect. These changes will directly support access and affordability of these vital services, delivering significant cost reductions and supporting an increased uptake in bulk-billing practices amongst health professionals. By the end of this year, 11 new endometriosis and pelvic pain clinics will be commissioned, bringing the total to 33 across to country. The remit of all 33 clinics will expand to also provide specialist support for menopause and perimenopause, and women will have improved awareness and knowledge of perimenopause and menopause through a national public health campaign. As a government, we are committed to addressing sex and gender bias in health care. Supporting, protecting and promoting the health and wellbeing of all women and girls and gender diverse people is a key priority. Australians are rightly proud of institutions like Medicare, the PBS, aged care and the NDIS. We want to ensure that all girls and women get the health care and support they need, when they need it and where they need it through our country's great universal healthcare system. I commend the many organisations, clinicians, academics and, most importantly, women and girls in Australia for their tireless advocacy and for sharing their stories. We'll continue to listen to them, work with them, and design with them solutions that mean we can improve women's health care in our country. There is so much to celebrate in Women's Health Week, while we get on with the job of delivering for women in Australia.