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Overlooked

As I sat behind my TV, I watched the protests and movements of pink-flooded crowds

chanting and fighting for rights and gender equality. This was not a one-time event and has been

a widespread, rising conflict that is persistent in society throughout my life. Whether it concerns

females in schools, workplaces, sports, or even the healthcare industry, the male population has

continued to dominate these public events and activities while demeaning females and

disregarding what they have to say.

With women being consistently called weak and seen as inferior, their abilities are

constantly overlooked. As a football trainer with Northgate’s Sports Medicine program, I have

witnessed girls having a much higher pain tolerance than males in sports. Girls have gone down

in soccer due to cramps, but immediately jump back up to keep the game going, even if they are

in pain. Contrasted to that, I have seen guys go down in football, and we run out to check for any

sprains or dislocations, etc. However, they take a great deal of time laying on the ground, unable

to take the pain of cramps. In no way is there anything wrong with males expressing the pain

they feel, but that goes to show only one example of how women are stronger than they are

perceived.

I have been immersed in knowledge about the healthcare industry for as long as I can

remember. With both of my parents and so many of our family friends being nurses, I was

always exposed to their experiences and lifestyles as healthcare workers in this day and age. I get

to see how the experience differs between opposing genders within my mother and my father.

Gender equality will always be an issue in communities everywhere, but that does not mean

individuals of society should conform to and promote these stereotypes, especially when it

comes to the healthcare system.

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Acknowledging the well-known struggle of how female healthcare workers have been

and still are sometimes discriminated against in their workplace, I wanted to further research the

other individuals involved in the system, which is why I have been brought to the question: Why

are female patients underserved or dismissed by the healthcare industry?

As a human instinct, when individuals are unsure how to answer a question or solve a

problem, most of the time, they choose to take their best shot and use what they know to the best

of their ability. When it comes to the medical workplace, it is evident that some medical

professionals can be quick to blame other conditions for how a patient feels when they are unsure

of a set diagnosis. This is the result of having a lack of knowledge and being forced to make

important decisions without valuable reasoning. An emergency medicine physician, Dr. Alyson

McGregor, claims, “Women are stigmatized as being anxious…It’s the women who keep coming

in over and over again without a diagnosis that I see so often that it just makes me feel we have

to do better at figuring out women’s specific physiology” (TodayShow). McGregor’s statement

supports the idea that a lot of what medical professionals are taught is based on men’s bodies. It

is a known fact that women’s bodies react differently than men’s bodies, so when tests are run,

different results should mean different things for each gender. Studies have shown that men will

experience heart attacks differently compared to women. So, their test results may seem to

appear normal, due to the fact that the tests are catered towards men’s bodies rather than

conditions more common for women. This is at the point where doctors would settle with the

diagnosis that the female patient is just anxious because her body is not correctly considered in

these tests that are supposed to help her. A study reflecting this idea is seen when “middle-aged

women with chest pain and other symptoms of heart disease were twice as likely to be diagnosed

with a mental illness compared with men who had the same symptoms,” and the fact that these

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female patients describe how “they’re not validated with regards to their concerns; they’re gaslit;

they’re not understood…they feel like no one is listening to them” (Bever). When medical

professionals have these doubts about the pain that women are feeling, it ends up greatly

affecting the treatment that is needed and how soon they get it. Because doctors are trained to

recognize and treat male symptoms, it is not as likely that females will receive the correct

diagnosis. However, when it comes to medicine, the patient should be treated for the pain that

they have, and not the pain that they are thought to have, because dismissing how they truly feel

may result in further consequences. In an interview I conducted with Mona Gaw, who is the Vice

President and Chief Nursing Officer for the entire nursing workforce hospitals in Austin, Texas,

she gave her perspective as a current healthcare worker: “Our goal really is that we want to make

sure that we're providing consistent care, so when we say that, we also want it to be equitable. So

whether you're a male or a female, you should have excellent care regardless.” That being said,

progress between the bias and the impact it has on women should be made in order to diminish

the remarkably high mortality rate of women compared to men in health conditions.

To further examine the bias and neglect displayed by the healthcare industry, it is clear

that change is necessary. Adjustments in our health care practices would contribute to giving

women more access to optimal health care after addressing other aspects that should be left

behind. Though there is a continual reiteration about the lack of inclusion of women in clinical

studies, “this situation is steadily improving, [as] research into health conditions that affect

women requires continuous and ongoing attention to keep improving lives” (“Women’s Health”).

So, further attention should be given to an ongoing complaint by females that is commonly

ignored, which is the issue of pain bias surrounding reproductive health. Focusing on the sector

of inserting an intrauterine device, or also known as an IUD, this procedure has been described

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by many women with severe pain and high levels of uncomfortability. Many studies have even

compared the pain to be at a higher level than pain that women experienced during vaginal

childbirth. One patient described the pain as a “full-body, electrifying, knife-stabbing pain”

(Bever). Even as female patients have made this feeling clear, healthcare professionals continue

to dismiss it or think of it to not be as big of a deal. Beyond this, it is obvious that everybody has

different levels of pain tolerance, but there are dozens of cases when physicians have been sued

for neglecting the pain that their female patients feel. This issue also does have temporary

solutions as numbing agents and local anesthetics are available, but are hardly ever used during

IUD insertion or procedures that are similar. From these few experiences, these points are

evident in the healthcare system:

The healthcare crisis is especially relevant for women who hold the majority of chronic

pain diagnoses and suffer from their healthcare concerns being dismissed. The gender

bias in the healthcare system compounds the issue for women as many of their significant

pain points, like pelvic and penetration pain, do not garner the research or attention they

deserve, leaving few treatment options available, and even fewer accessible to those who

need them most. (“The Promising New Device…”)

An assumption to consider is that sometimes the medical professionals see women as

“emotional” or “dramatic” when they react to these types of pain. This may again have to do

with the lack of medical research on women participating in more than just pain that was done

and focused on men. As females hope for further progression, even if it comes slowly, they are

left to continuously advocate for themselves and how they feel. As previously stated, women

tend to be dismissed and not heard, but they should not have to feel forced to accept minimal

treatment and an estimated diagnosis.

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It is commonly assumed and will most likely continue to be, that women complain

quickly and more than men ever do when it comes to pain. The key aspect of this is that it is an

assumed belief that does not accurately match studies and evidence that women should be

considered “weak” compared to men. However, since that is an existing stigma in society,

women are stuck having to deal with it:

Women in the emergency department who report having acute pain are less likely to be

given opioid painkillers (the most effective type) than men. After they are prescribed,

women wait longer to receive them…Meanwhile, women are more likely to receive

anti-anxiety medications than men when they come to a hospital with pain – and are more

often written off as psychiatric patients. (Billock)

This statement describes both the mistreatment and false assumptions that are commonly

experienced when women are seeking help. It has become a disturbing trend that has developed

over time and through history as gender equality in society has also evolved in general. But,

based on current reports and persistent experiences, it seems as though progress in the healthcare

workplace is not as evident. It is the sad truth that “in a 2019 HealthyWomen survey, 45% of

respondents said they didn't think their healthcare providers took their pain seriously” (Latifi).

The medical workplace is supposed to be a safe space where individuals go in order to feel

understood and certain that they can find helpful treatment. When that high of a number of

women feels the opposite way, many things are being done wrong. It leaves the patient with their

best resort being finding a new provider that will listen to them, and provide them comfort with

the quality treatment that they deserve.

Looking at another aspect of how some doctors may view their female patients, an

unfortunate concept still known to this day is a woman having “hysterical” symptoms. An idea

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that correlates hysteria with a woman’s uterus, which is used to infer that the pain she feels is due

to her hormones or some sort of feeling she has just made up on her own. In this sense, women

are being mocked and seen as inferior while they are experiencing pain, as a consequence of a

recurring concept, which is gender bias. Obviously, this mockery has left some female patients to

say: “Our hormones aren’t making us anxious or upset—these condescending attitudes are”

(“Gaslighting in Women’s Health…”). These types of attitudes that may be commonly inflicted

on females may also be factors that contribute to scaring them and silencing them from

expressing how they truly feel. It is already difficult for women to be vocal about their conditions

as is, because of male superiority complexes, but the ridicule definitely diminishes the

confidence that females should have the right to express. However, the blame is not entirely

directed toward the men because “a 2018 survey of physicians and dentists arrived at similar

conclusions: Many of these healthcare professionals believed that women exaggerate their pain.

This was true even though 40% of the participants were women'' (“Gender Bias in

Healthcare…”). Although there is not an entire explanation as to why the survey results came out

like that, they should display how the entire healthcare system views females, and how it is not

just male medical professionals. So, gender bias is thus a concept that is collectively shared and

practiced by both genders in the medical workplace. In an interview I conducted with Michelle

Han, who is currently a registered nurse at John Muir, Walnut Creek, she described the advantage

she has when it comes to working with female patients: “Like with society's impression of

women being more emotional, that might be something that I can see like a male coworker

having a harder time with like, you know, meeting female patients emotional needs than they

would have to for a man… I think that's like way before our time, it's just so deeply rooted in our

society.” So, as Han said, accommodating female patients nowadays is definitely not as much of

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a struggle, however, some issues are still present due to the fact that these issues have followed

us through history.

From what everyone remembers of 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic affected all aspects of

life, especially global health, and severely the health of women and girls. This meaning that they

lost access to essential health services and their recovery efforts became deprioritized compared

to the conditions around them. When the pandemic reached its height, funds that were previously

put toward women’s and girls’ health were then redirected and moved to support other

life-saving services. Consequently, “this has led to major funding gaps in women’s healthcare. In

addition, an underfunding of women's health research means that specific challenges or diseases

that affect women and girls remain unaddressed” (“Access to Healthcare…”). This action is an

issue because it is of utmost urgency that there is further investment into women’s and girls’

health, considering the high rates of sexual and reproductive health concerns among women of

reproductive age. Although this may not have been as much of an issue for most individuals

during the pandemic, women in poorer countries experienced the loss of access to contraception.

The result of this is an exceedingly high number of unplanned pregnancies, which further results

in a need for quality birthing facilities and skilled attendants. The redirection of funds left many

women, especially those in underdeveloped countries, with unintended pregnancies. As the

healthcare world shifted their resource prioritization to virus prevention, treatments, and

vaccines, “the devastating result of unintended pregnancy is an increase in maternal and neonatal

morbidity and mortality… Disruption in contraception access also results in an increase in unsafe

abortions, miscarriage, [and] pregnancy complications…” (Aly). Not only do these results affect

the health of women, but they also impact them economically, which can severely affect those at

a disadvantage, like marginalized groups in the United States and developing countries, by

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further pushing them into poverty. This contributes to the fact that women would choose to have

an unsafe abortion, putting themselves at risk with life-threatening consequences that the hospital

could not accommodate, due to the fact that they prioritized pandemic-related resources. Even

though the pandemic produced an unexpected toll on everyone, governments need to better

prepare for events like it, and have increased investments in the healthcare industry’s system to

secure equal treatment of women’s and girls’ access to healthcare compared to all other sectors.

Overall, women generally do experience discrimination by the healthcare industry when

it comes to considering their pain, need for resources, and actual conditions. There are countless

experiences that undermine women’s potential and dismiss their needs, even without good reason

for doing so. Although the opposing gender is the male population, female patients receive this

type of treatment from the medical workplace as a whole. It would be unfair and unreasonable to

only blame the males because even women contribute to this discrimination as it is a concept that

has been known and rooted in this world’s history. Due to a variety of factors whether it is

looking at gender bias, a lack of medical studies and research, or the differences between both

gender’s pain interpretation, it is important that the healthcare industry and medical professionals

involved continue to try and make change over time, so that patients can eventually progress to

total equality. Not only would this development have a positive effect on women and female

patients, but it helps the world population as a whole and would keep a balanced society. As

gender equality continues to positively grow and develop more acceptance in everybody’s

everyday lives, it should spread into the healthcare industry as the long history of division

between both genders should be left in the past. Even though females have varying needs and

different body systems, the world is becoming more advanced every year and further research

and studies will only have a positive effect on it.

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Works Cited

“Access to Healthcare: Why We Need to Prioritize Women and Girls.” World Economic Forum,

https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2022/05/access-to-healthcare-prioritize-woman-and-gir

ls/.

Aly, Jasmine. “Contraception access during the COVID-19 pandemic - Contraception and

Reproductive Medicine.” Contraception and Reproductive Medicine, 8 October 2020,

https://contraceptionmedicine.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s40834-020-00114-9.

Accessed 12 April 2023.

Bever, Lindsey. “From Heart Disease to Iuds: How Doctors Dismiss Women's Pain.” The

Washington Post, WP Company, 13 Dec. 2022,

https://www.washingtonpost.com/wellness/interactive/2022/women-pain-gender-bias-doc

tors/.

Billock, Jennifer. “Pain bias: The health inequality rarely discussed.” BBC, 18 May 2018,

https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20180518-the-inequality-in-how-women-are-treated-f

or-pain. Accessed 14 April 2023.

“Gaslighting in Women's Health: No It's Not Just in Your Head.” Katz Institute for Women's

Health,

https://www.northwell.edu/katz-institute-for-womens-health/articles/gaslighting-in-wome

ns-health.

Gaw, Mona. Personal Interview. 11 March 2023.

“Gender Bias in Healthcare: Examples and Consequences.” Medical News Today, MediLexicon

International, https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/gender-bias-in-healthcare.

Han, Michelle. Personal Interview. 12 April 2023.

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Latifi, Fortesa. “The Pain Gap: Why Women's Pain Is Undertreated.” HealthyWomen, 26 July

2021, https://www.healthywomen.org/condition/pain-gap-womens-pain-undertreated.

Accessed 14 April 2023.

"The Promising New Device that Tackles Female Pelvic Pain." PR Newswire Novel, 8 Sept.

2022, p. NA. Gale In Context: High School,

link.gale.com/apps/doc/A716517141/SUIC?u=wal55317&sid=bookmark-SUIC&xid=09

acac93. Accessed 14 Apr. 2023.

TodayShow. “Dismissed: The Health Risk of Being a Woman.” TODAY.com, TODAY, 13 May

2019, https://www.today.com/health/dismissed-health-risk-being-woman-t153804.

“Women's Health.” Nature News, Nature Publishing Group, 8 Mar. 2021,

https://www.nature.com/collections/hhegjbfjdi#:~:text=Research%20into%20women%27

s%20health%20has,in%20preclinical%20and%20clinical%20studies.

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