Telangana Hyderabad - 55 percent of women more likely to have vision impairment in the State
These discrepancies in access to eye care are mostly caused by cultural and socioeconomic reasons that are exclusive to women. They have limited financial options, restricted travel, and little social support to seek eye treatment. According to the LVPEI researchers, women are among the most underprivileged groups when it comes to access to eye care in low- and middle-income nations like India, particularly in rural regions.
Men were more prevalent than women across all gender categories. Global research on eye care have revealed that, in comparison to males, women do not utilise healthcare services as effectively. However, study found that women are more likely to use our services when we are closer to the community.
Some of the variables that lead to poor health-seeking behaviours in women include cultural biases, a lack of felt need, lower levels of literacy and economic empowerment compared to males. This is true even though women are more likely than males to develop VI and blindness for a variety of causes.
• Only 40–42 percent of women have access to upscale eye care facilities and tertiary treatment.
• On the other hand, women are more likely to attend an eye clinic if one is close to their houses.
• Only 44.5% of women in TS, AP, Odisha, and karnataka frequent rural vision care centres.
• Why there are more women with visual impairments and fewer access due to socioeconomic factors
• Limited autonomy, insufficient financial resources, and insufficient social support for obtaining eye care