The other healthcare gap affecting women

Women aren’t taken as seriously as men in emergency rooms, or their local GP’s office.

For the past few months I’ve had ongoing muscular pains. I’ve spent a small fortune on physios and specialists, as well as, I admit, a fair amount of time in Dr Google’s office. Still, there’s been no resolution. On a positive note, my GP has been supportive and dedicated to finding the root of the problem. But I'm in the minority.

Research shows that women who visit health professionals are taken far less seriously than men. A 2014 study from Sweden found that women admitted to the emergency department in hospitals waited significantly longer than men to see a doctor and were less often classified as urgent.

Similarly, University of Pennsylvania researchers found that women waited 16 minutes longer than men to receive pain medication in emergency.

In such circumstances, an increased wait time can potentially be the difference between life and death. But, women are not just taking a backseat in the ER. They’re doing the same in the doctor’s surgery, the results of which can still be devastating.

Katherine* knows this only too well. Five years ago, at the age of 35, she was diagnosed with thyroid cancer. Sadly, it took her numerous trips to specialists before she was taken seriously.

“My doctors kept insisting that I likely had polycystic ovary syndrome, even though I kept insisting that I didn’t,” she says. “Multiple tests later and a mini tantrum at the GP’s office, ("It's my thyroid, I'm certain of it!”) led to a scan which resulted in a thyroid cancer diagnosis.”

A similar situation happened to Teresa* eight years ago. After five years of constantly going to the doctor with period issues and painful bleeding, she demanded a full hysterectomy.

The doctors finally agreed and, when they operated, they found ovarian cancer.

“I was devastated, but at the same time glad to finally have a diagnosis and be taken seriously,” she says.

Thankfully both women are now in remission, but, as Katharine notes, “there are lots of people who don't feel justified in questioning their medical professionals”.

One of the reasons that women hold back from questioning medical professionals is fear of being stereotyped as dramatic or emotional. Proof that such a stigma exists was found in the oft-cited study The Girl Who Cried Pain: A Bias Against Women in the Treatment of Pain.

The study found that women are less likely to receive aggressive treatment when diagnosed and were more likely to have their pain dismissed as “emotional,” “psychogenic” and “not real”.

Dr Marny Lishman is a health and wellbeing psychologist. She agrees that there’s a perception that women are more emotional, but also notes that deep-rooted beliefs also impact on women’s health diagnoses.

“Women have grown up being told that many of their physical health problems are due to ‘hormones’ and the like, so they’re not always taken seriously,” she says.

“From sore breasts, bloated tummies, weight gain, skin problems or bad temper, everything is blamed on female hormones when, sometimes, there could be more serious issues.”

The confluence of women’s pain with emotional issues often means that women are prescribed unnecessary anti-anxiety medication. Again, the rate of such prescriptions is higher in women than men.

Such evidence should be enough to convince even the biggest sceptic of gender health inequality. But, if there’s still doubt, a study relating to the gender gap in treating cardiovascular disease – one of most common causes of death among women – may help.

The worldwide data, which analysed more than 2.5 million patients, concluded that female patients were significantly less likely than men to undergo revascularisation or receive lipid-lowering therapy at discharge. Over the study period, the gender gap widened even further.

Sadly, until societal perceptions and subsequent treatments change, this may remain the same.

“In general, men avoid doctors because they’re socialised to be strong and able to manage pain and situations themselves,” says Dr Lishman.

“If they visit the doctors, they probably do get more attention, as it’s perceived they must be really sick if they’re asking for help. Unlike women, men being physically unwell seems to be explained as just that. No other explanation is needed.”

For women, not having their symptoms recognised can potentially cause anxiety, which can then exacerbate health problems or cause a flare up of the original symptoms. Dr Lishman notes that this can lead to a lot of unnecessary distress.

While she appreciates that constant dismissal can be hard, Dr Lishman advises that listening to your body, as well as your intuition, is the way forward.

“Always talk to your doctor about your health issues and, if you aren’t feeling like it’s resolved, always get a second, third, fourth and fifth opinion,” she says.

As for me, I’m currently awaiting more results and hope to get a resolution soon. In the meantime, I know I’m in good hands.

It's a shame I'm in the minority.

*Names have been changed

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