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The Gap in Aviation Theory
Health issues within aviation can be career-limiting or even ending; pilots are held to extremely high health standards to ensure operational health.
The question is: how does the industry expect women to comply with these standards without providing adequate research, support, or education?
A glaring example of this is the theory exam topic of human performance; the study of the psychological and physiological factors that influence how pilots perform. It is tested at private, commercial, and airline exam levels, but it’s incomplete; it fails to cover the health concerns or impacts affecting 50% of the human population. The current syllabus for Europe and the UK has zero mention of menstruation, pregnancy, menopause, endometriosis, PCOS or any other female-specific health issue; it also fails to specify how key health areas such as sleep and alcohol impact women differently. This is not just a failure of the exam system, but a reflection of how women are so often forgotten and overlooked, both in aviation and in healthcare.
The Dangers of an Information Gap
Elevate(her)’s recent survey into menstruation reveals how oversights like these affect real women, every day.
93% of respondents from our survey wanted aviation organisations or AMEs to be more supportive of menstrual cycles. 92% believe that more research is needed on menstrual health.
One respondent from our survey stated she had not spoken to her AME or GP about her menstrual health concerns out of fear of losing her class 1 medical, “I don’t know where to get support for menstrual issues without risking my job.”
This lack of official information can cause women to turn to unofficial sources, to suffer in silence or deter them from furthering or starting their career. Women deserve to understand how their job affects their body, and how to manage their health issues in a working environment.
Industry-Wide Impact
While the impact on individuals’ lives and careers is stark, the greater impact on the aviation industry should not be overlooked. When asked how supported they felt by their company in issues related to menstrual health, 39% of women answered, “not at all”.
One respondent explained, “In a pilot's capacity, I don’t think I’d approach base management directly about menstrual issues, I’d reach out to women in the same role as me first and have to decide my next steps”.
If women don’t have faith that the management will understand their issue, they become reluctant to bring it up. When working in a multi crew environment, an understanding of your colleague's health is vital. Pilots are not being provided with the knowledge to support their female colleagues. This is particularly relevant for male colleagues who lack personal experience with these issues.
A Call for Change
The aviation industry needs to consider how it expects women to understand or seek support for a health issue when the exam syllabus, the foundation of education, does not even acknowledge that the issue exists.
More research into women's health and aviation-specific research is needed. However, until this happens, we cannot pretend that these issues simply do not exist. EASA and other equivalent aviation bodies set the standard. Adding learning objectives and exam questions related to women's health is a statement to the industry about the importance of women's health. This responsibility can also be put on individual companies, AME’s, teachers and managers to educate and provide support. To go beyond the syllabus and help to fill the gap in aviation theory.
Below is some of the current official advice available. If you have any health issues or concerns, please reach out to your GP or AME.
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