By Jori Hamilton

To the women reading this article, imagine you’re almost positive you’re having a heart attack, go to the hospital to get examined by the emergency department, are then told to wait for an hour, and then are sent home without much help. This isn’t impossible. In fact, it’s even likely. Women wait longer for treatment than men in the ER, and, often, their health concerns aren’t taken seriously. The effect this has on women can range from the uncomfortable to the deadly. It’s an unfortunate truth that women’s health is taken less seriously by many doctors.  This gender bias threatens women’s health and could lead to scary consequences.

“Pain? What Pain?”

Women who are experiencing pain are more likely to receive a prescription for a sedative instead of pain medication. This is true even for serious pain following surgery. In fact, one Harvard study showed that women who had undergone coronary bypass surgery were 50% less likely to be prescribed painkillers as men who had gone through the same exact procedure. Women of color are especially vulnerable to racial bias in the assessment of their pain, in addition to the treatment recommendations made by white doctors.

The same Harvard study also indicates that on average, women wait 65 minutes in the emergency room to receive medication to treat acute abdominal pain, while men wait less than 50 minutes.

In addition, the Harvard publication concludes that chronic pain affects women significantly more than men–with 70% of the people affected by chronic pain being female. They’re also statistically much more likely to receive prescriptions for sedatives, rather than actual pain medication.  

Furthermore, women feel pain more acutely than men do. However, as much as 80% of pain studies are conducted either on men or male specimens, leaving medicals professionals in the dark about women’s health.

“That Can’t Be a Heart Attack”

Gender bias doesn’t just mean more pain for women–it can be fatal, too. At the turn of the century, the New England Journal of Medicine published a study showing that women who are experiencing a heart attack are seven times more likely than men to be misdiagnosed and then discharged from the hospital. These women are being turned away literally in the middle of having a heart attack. To make matters worse, heart disease is the number one killer of women!

Medical experts put the context of many diseases, including heart attacks and heart disease, in a male-oriented framework, so they don’t always recognize the unique symptoms women experience while having a heart attack. For example, both men and women will have chest pain during a heart attack, but women specifically are more likely to experience back pain, jaw pain, shortness of breath or vomiting.

“Women Complain More Than Men.”

It’s a common, yet incorrect, assumption that women complain about medical issues more than men do. A study in the UK found that men went to their doctors 32% less than women.  Perhaps, since women are likely to vocalize their symptoms more, doctors are likely taking their self-reports less seriously.  Another analysis on specific types of pain (headaches and back pain) showed that both women and men went to the doctor in equal amounts for these ailments. Evidence whether women seek medical help more than men may be inconsistent, but the consequences still remain the same.   

Due to societal gender expectations, women are often given the title of “complainer” or “bitch” when they are anything but nice and agreeable. This social expectation causes women significant medical mismanagement due to the incredibly critical consequence not being taken as seriously as men.

It’s Not in Your Head

It’s far too common for women to visit their healthcare provider only to be told that what they’re experiencing is in their head instead of in their body. Yes, plenty of physical symptoms can be related to chronic stress and maybe even relieved by self-care and stress management. However, the frustration of dealing with an often-misunderstood chronic pain condition like fibromyalgia can lead to depression and anxiety. Over 80% of those with fibromyalgia are women. Saying, “You’re imagining it,” shouldn’t be the blanket response that a healthcare professional gives a patient who is suffering.

Anxiety and other mental health conditions are not something to be ignored and they should be treated, but there’s a difference between assuming a patient is experiencing anxiety and doing the work to discover whether it’s anxiety or something else. According to neurologist Dr. Fiona Gupta, “Many of these patients were later diagnosed with serious neurological problems, like multiple sclerosis and Parkinson’s disease.” Even if their condition was a conversion disorder, a disorder where one experiences symptoms that does not have a medical reasoning, a person’s symptoms need to be taken seriously–they are still actually experiencing the symptoms!

Seemingly Harmless Symptoms That Are a Big Deal

It’s easy to brush some warnings signs off as a bad night’s sleep, not enough exercise, or a stressful week at work. However,  you don’t want to ignore these tell-tale symptoms, and you don’t want your doctor to ignore them either.

• If you’re not on your period, blood in your urine could be a warning sign of bladder cancer.
• If chicken soup isn’t enough for a persistent cough, it could be pneumonia, tuberculosis or even lung cancer.
• You may assume you have swollen ankles or legs from a long week of walking in heels, but it can actually point to a heart valve problem.
• Different headaches mean different things. While you may simply have a tension headache, one that’s accompanied by nausea or vomiting could mean a brain tumor or a thunderclap-like headache can mean a hemorrhage.
• A sharp pain in your side isn’t necessarily a menstrual cramp that’ll pass in a little bit. It can be appendicitis or an ovarian cyst.

Let’s Fix This

It’s clear that the medical industry must focus on how women specifically are impacted by issues like chronic pain and disease. Studies have to be conducted  with women as well as men so that doctors can accurately diagnose and treat their conditions.

In addition, medical studies should embrace intersectionality and look at other factors such as culture, race, religion, sexual orientation, ability, etc. when looking to treating individuals. In the meantime, medical practitioners need to be able to understand and check their own gender biases so they are better able to educate their patients about their conditions, and maintain optimal standards of care.

If you’ve been told your symptoms aren’t that serious or that you’re overreacting, please don’t downplay or ignore them. Your health is important. Ask your female friends and family if they have a trusted doctor. If you don’t have that option, make sure you advocate for yourself. Keep in mind, doctors are providing you with a service that you are paying for and you should get the treatment and attention you pay for. This can entail researching your treatment options, checking your doctor’s reputation, talking to insurance providers, and getting a second opinion about your diagnosis. Ultimately though, the best thing you can do is come in prepared with questions and concerns.

“You’re typically not going to have a lot of time with your provider,” Linda Adler, CEO of Pathfinders Medical Advocacy and Consulting recently told U.S. News, “so it’s in your interest to know what you want going in.”

While this concept can be nerve wracking, it is ultimately beneficial that you follow through with receiving adequate and compassionate healthcare, especially if you belong to a traditionally underserved community. It’s a right you deserve, after all.

Here’s a challenge: the next time you feel sick or in pain, pay attention to it instead of brushing it off or masking it with Ibuprofen. Book an appointment with your doctor. Do your research beforehand.  Go in prepared, ask questions, and above all else, advocate for yourself.