March 19, 2026
Whether it’s an annual checkup or an unplanned visit to urgent care, some women find that medical professionals minimize their health concerns. Instead of investigating the root cause, appointments often end with obscure explanations and temporary remedies.
According to a 2020 Duke Health Blog post, 20% of women report having felt that a health care provider has ignored or dismissed their symptoms, and 17% say they have been treated differently because of their gender — compared with 14% and 6% of men, respectively.
Likewise, a 2017 article by Harvard Health Publishing reported that women are more likely than men to have pain misdiagnosed or underestimated, potentially leading to years of unanswered questions and worsening conditions.
This pattern is especially pronounced when it comes to autoimmune disorders, chronic pain and reproductive health. Conditions such as endometriosis can take four to 11 years to diagnose, according to the American Medical Association, largely because symptoms are overlooked.
Women know their bodies, yet their concerns are frequently treated as falsehoods or exaggerations.
This is because pain is categorized as “normal,” or patients are told that what they are feeling is “all in their head,” according to Northwell Health, New York’s largest healthcare provider.
Shortcomings in women’s health care are not due to poor technology or lack of treatments, but rather to negligence among medical professionals. Women know their bodies, yet their concerns are frequently treated as falsehoods or exaggerations.
Lasting change begins with education. Medical students must be trained to address women’s health beyond surface-level care, learning to recognize their own biases and approach symptoms with curiosity rather than assumption.
Health class curricula should also be reformed to include sex-based differences relating to reproductive health, menopause and mental well-being, empowering young women with the knowledge they need to advocate for themselves.
ILLUSTRATION BY MARIAH ALLEN
When used effectively, social media can be helpful as well. It amplifies personal stories, encourages women to ask questions, promotes seeking second opinions and breaks stigmas. Additionally, it can serve as patient advocacy, potentially driving increased funding for gender-specific research.
Furthermore, medical research must be more inclusive of women. According to the National Institutes of Health, most medical research had been conducted on men due to a 1977 Food and Drug Administration policy that recommended excluding potential childbearing women, women on contraceptives and women who were single from crucial clinical tests.
In 1993, Congress enacted a federal law requiring the inclusion of women and minorities in clinical research. However, as of 2019, women were still underrepresented, accounting for just 41% of all clinical trials, according to the University of Utah Health.
Neglecting women’s health has serious consequences, as delayed diagnoses can impact quality of life, mental health, physical well-being and long-term outcomes.
Therefore, women should not settle for vague answers or dismissive responses, and medical professionals must take their concerns seriously by listening carefully, investigating thoroughly and treating every patient with equal care.
