A survey of women in Canberra about the state of their health and wellbeing has revealed large gaps in access and affordability, as well as the staggering statistic that almost half of respondents felt doctors didn't take them seriously.

Megan Phipps isn't even the slightest bit surprised.

She was 20, a university student and otherwise fit and healthy when she started experiencing debilitating abdominal pain five years ago.

It was so crippling, Ms Phipps was struggling to eat, sleep or study.

"I couldn't go out with my friends, I had to decline social invitations, I had to withdraw from university,"

Ms Phipps said.

"It was just so pervasive."

Ms Phipps's general practitioner ordered testing for appendicitis, which came back clear.

"When those tests came back fine, my GP told me it

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