In the Philippines, 60 percent of the population are women. Despite this, in Metro Manila alone, where the population is about 20 million, there is hardly any medical institution that pays attention to the specific wellness needs of women, unlike in Singapore, where the population is only eight million, but women’s clinics are abundant.

“When you look for women’s clinic, women’s health, what comes out? The hospitals, correct? You have The Medical City, St. Luke’s, Makati Med. That’s what comes out. You search in Singapore, you go to Dubai, and it’s like so many,” fretted Dr. Carol Joanna Violago-Olivarez, a graduate of Ateneo Medical School, a board-certified OB-GYN with 15 years of experience in healthcare, including residency training in The Medical City and postgraduate course at Harvard Medical School.

Because of this “healthcare gap” among women, many women, like stylist, art director and Good Finds Club newsletter founder and editor Jenni Epperson run to artificial intelligence (AI) apps such as ChatGPT to seek for immediate medical answers.

“Who here has Googled or asked ChatGPT or any AI doctor symptoms at two a.m., not because you wanted to self-diagnose, but because you felt too embarrassed, too busy, or too unsure if your concerns aren’t real enough to bother a doctor?” Jenni asked at a recent roundtable discussion she hosted.

Since stepping into her 50s, Jenni has been looking for answers about hot flashes, bleeding and other concerns brought in by menopause — and simply looking up on these topics on the Internet does not solve her problems.

“Obviously, I went into ChatGPT and asked, why am I experiencing this? And it’s a mistake because you get so nervous because there’s just so many collated information that’s not really tailored, man… I want peace of mind. That’s what I want. Empowerment. And I’m not getting it from Dr. GPT. You know, the only way to get it is because everyone has their own special DNA and treatment. So I really needed to go to the doctor,” she said.

“While many say that 50s are completely fabulous, this is also when long-term health and quality of life start taking center stage. And for many, menopause becomes less of a distant idea and more of a real everyday experience. It’s a conversation that deserves more openness, clarity and support.”

At the panel discussion, women in their 20s, 30s and 40s agreed that their bodies don’t work in isolated chapters. It involves through every stage, from reproductive health, to family planning, pregnancy, postpartum, perimenopause and menopause.

“I think when we talk about these feelings, you know, as women, like I think it will make men realize that all women feel this way, there must be something in their hormones. But you could really see the connection of everyone and how we all experience this in so many different ages in our lives, it’s just really mind-blowing how even in your 20s, 30s, 40s, there’s like this thread that connects all of us, right?” Jenni pointed out.