Disparities Faced in Women’s Health
Medicine despite its advances in the past has failed to account for the disparities women face in treatment and funding. The medical field is one where people should feel the safest with doctors who spend an extensive amount of time training for the treatment of patients and their wellbeing. However, many women do not feel seen in the medical fields due the constant dismissal of cries for help and the lack of funding for research in women’s health.
Unfair treatment in women’s health:
Women’s concerns about health are constantly dismissed making women feel overlooked. In a survey of more than 110 thousand women in the UK, 50% of respondents felt that their pain was disregarded or overlooked. In this same survey women believed that there were a variety of urgent issues that needed to be prioritized for inclusion in the Department of Health and Social care in the UK (DHSC). Many women told the DHSC that their problems were not taken seriously, and they were pushed to persistently advocate for themselves to secure a diagnosis. This trend isn’t just seen in the UK but in other countries like the USA as well. The 2024 KFF women’s health survey showed that 1 in 4 women ages 18 to 64 reported that a healthcare provider has treated them unfairly or with disrespect in the past two years.
Research and funding:
Aside from direct healthcare encounters, women face disparities in research for women’s health. Women’s health research is severely underfunded, and today’s research falls behind. When the recent research fundings of the National institutes of health (NIH) were analyzed, it revealed that male favored diseases are significantly more likely to be overfunded and female favored diseases are more likely to be underfunded. This lack of attention has real time effects such as women experiencing adverse effects from medications at twice the rate of men or women with metal hip replacements being 29% more likely than men to experience implant failure. Additionally, a study published in The New England Journal of Medicine found that women are 7 times more likely than men to be misdiagnosed while having a heart attack. These issues arise due to the insufficient testing done on women as much of the present research on the human body is reflective of males.
How we can make strides to a better future:
Addressing disparities in women's health is crucial not only for equity but also for improved health outcomes. By recognizing and confronting these issues—through increased funding for women's health research, better training for healthcare providers, and more inclusive practices—we can pave the way for a future where women's health concerns are prioritized and treated with the seriousness they deserve.
Citations:
Schubert, Kathryn Godburn, et al. “To Address Women’s Health Inequity, It Must First Be Measured.” Health Equity, U.S. National Library of Medicine, 2 Dec. 2022, pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9811825/#:~:text=A%20recent%20analysis%20of%20NIH,more%20likely%20to%20be%20underfunded.
Balch, Bridget, et al. “Why We Know so Little about Women’s Health.” AAMC, 26 Mar. 2024, www.aamc.org/news/why-we-know-so-little-about-women-s-health.
“Women and Pain: Disparities in Experience and Treatment.” Harvard Health, harvard health publishing, 9 Oct. 2017, www.health.harvard.edu/blog/women-and-pain-disparities-in-experience-and-treatment-2017100912562.
eClinicalMedicine. “Gendered Pain: A Call for Recognition and Health Equity.” EClinicalMedicine, U.S. National Library of Medicine, 7 Mar. 2024, pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10937548/.
“Results of the ‘women’s Health – Let’s Talk about It’ Survey.” GOV.UK, DHSC, www.gov.uk/government/calls-for-evidence/womens-health-strategy-call-for-evidence/outcome/3fa4a313-f7a5-429a-b68d-0eb0be15e696. Accessed 23 Mar. 2025.
Ivette Gomez, Brittni Frederiksen. “Negative Interactions Experienced by Women in Health Settings.” KFF, KFF, 12 Mar. 2025.
Written By:
Akshara Padit
