New research from Orbis International reveals that women face more difficulty than men in getting glasses. The study, a systematic review published in Ophthalmology, shows that women are less likely to receive this kind of straightforward vision care, especially in Southeast Asia, East Asia, and Oceania, and in low-income and urban settings.
According to Orbis International, there are a number of reasons for this, including women being unaware of the importance of eye care, lacking access to family finances to pay for care or transport, and being unable to take time away from household responsibilities to seek care. The study reveals these gaps are smallest in high-income countries but much larger in low- to middle-income regions. Among these areas, 56% of the studies reviewed reported that women had lower access to glasses than men.
Importantly, the study finds that gender differences in access to glasses are not evident among school-aged children, but do emerge among adults.
"These results are important because they suggest school-based vision screening programs can be effective in reaching both girls and boys who need glasses," says Sonia Mavi, a PhD candidate at Queen's University Belfast, the study's lead researcher, in a press release issued by Orbis International. "Despite these findings, many women and girls still struggle to access the refractive care they need in some parts of the world. The challenge now is to look at the common barriers women and girls face in accessing glasses outside of the classroom and to put programs into place to address those barriers."
Women make up two thirds of the world's illiterate adults (aged 15 and over), and for some of these women, a simple pair of glasses could be a low-cost ticket to literacy, better employment and economic prospects, and an improved quality of life, relays Orbis International.
"In the areas where Orbis works, accessing eye care can be challenging for everyone, but because of the extra barriers they face, women and girls make up the majority of people living with vision loss globally. That's why we cannot solve this crisis without addressing the unique challenges they experience," says Noelle Whitestone, director of Clinical Strategy & Impact, Orbis International and an author on the study, in the press release.
Orbis International says it is working to remove these barriers in a number of ways, including bringing care directly to where women and girls already are through eye exams at children's schools and homes, vision centers that employ women and provide basic care in remote areas, and offering treatment during visits to local communities, In addition, Orbis International is providing screening and treatment for conditions, such as trachoma and retinopathy of prematurity, that are more likely to affect women and girls. Finally, Orbis International says it is training more women eye health professionals around the world—because in many communities, women feel more comfortable seeking care from a female provider. OM