Student Article

Women face challenges in getting their pain taken seriously by healthcare professionals. This is referred to as the gender pain gap. Women often wait longer to receive diagnoses and treatment for their pain, and their pain is frequently dismissed or misunderstood by healthcare professionals.

What the research shows

A recent report commissioned by Nurofen found that more women than men feel their pain is ignored or dismissed. The report surveyed over 5,000 people and found that it takes women longer to receive a medical diagnosis for the same types of pain. Fewer than half of the women surveyed received a diagnosis within 11 months, compared with two-thirds of men. Many women felt that the delay in diagnosis was because they were not listened to or taken seriously by their healthcare professionals.

Misunderstood and mislabeled

One reason for this is that doctors often attribute women's symptoms to stress or hormones, while men are more likely to be sent for a physical check. This has led to women's pain being overlooked and not properly treated.

A history of being left out

The gender pain gap is also influenced by the lack of medical research on women's health. Until 1993, women were not allowed to participate in clinical trials, leading to a gap in knowledge about how to treat women's pain. This has resulted in a "male as default" approach in medicine, where less is known about conditions that predominantly affect women.

Moving toward fair treatment

To address the gender pain gap, it is important to listen to women, take their pain seriously, and conduct more research on women's health. This will help ensure that women receive the care they need and improve their quality of life.

© Dr. Michelle Griffin / Our Media