What a pain! Why women’s health still gets ignored

Why are women’s health concerns so often minimised, ignored, or dismissed? From menstrual pain to menopause, it’s time to confront the politics of pain and demand the care women deserve

Nov 02, 2024

a person standing on a tennis court in the dark — Photo by Hailey Kean on Unsplash

When I was in my 30s, I went to the GP about my periods. The pain was horrendous, often having me doubled up on the bed and unable to do anything. And that’s before we get to the black moods.

He said it was because I hadn’t had children.

From menstrual cramps to endometriosis, menopause to migraines, women’s health issues are ignored, diminished and/or even dismissed as “normal” while men’s health gets immediate action and resources.

Getting angry? You should be. There’s been a greater awareness of the failures of women’s healthcare over the last few years and yet the diagnosis time for endometriosis – one of the big it-only-happens-to-women-so-who-cares menstrual issues – has gone up. Yup, you’ve read that right. It has increased from 7yrs 6months to 8yrs 10months. So despite all the noise, women are waiting longer to get help.

Of course, there’s a long history of politics and gender bias behind this imbalance. But it’s not just the healthcare system at fault; our cultural attitudes and policies have played a big role in deciding whose pain gets taken seriously and whose does not.

Why women’s health is underfunded and under-researched

Historically, medical research and clinical trials have focussed on men’s bodies because – get this – our menstrual cycles and hormonal fluctuations were “complicating factors” and get in the way. Women are 51% of society so shouldn’t we be the norm?

It gets worse, in 2015, Women’s Health Research at Yale highlighted a study on a drug only intended for women – but 23 of the 25 participants were men. I know; it’s unbelievable.

Want more? Well, erectile dysfunction, which affects 19% of men, gets five times more research than premenstrual syndrome, which affects 90% of women.

This has left a huge gap in research on how different diseases and treatments affect our bodies. As Caroline Criado Perez pointed out, heart attack symptoms were only studied in men until recently, despite women often having completely different symptoms.

Why is it this way in 2024? Well, entire generations of doctors have been taught using data that doesn’t reflect our experiences or even our bodies and the result is a system that often underestimates or misinterprets our pain. And too often that leaves us in agony and suffering from medical gaslighting – “other women don’t complain”.

Bias in the doctor ’s office: “It’s all in your head”

Don’t think the bias is only in the lab. It’s much closer to home. When women go to their doctor, we’re more likely than men to be told our pain is due to stress, anxiety or even “just in your head”. Consequently, we downplay symptoms or don’t mention them at all; just grab for the paracetamol again.

A report commissioned by Nurofen in 2023 found 11% more women than men felt their pain was ignored or dismissed, while only 47% had received a diagnosis within 11 months, compared to 66 per cent of men.

And when women’s pain is systematically minimised, we’re less likely to receive adequate treatment. In fact, the study The Girl Who Cried Pain: A Bias Against Women in the Treatment of Pain found that women:

get prescribed less pain medication than men after identical procedures;

are less likely to be admitted to hospital and receive stress tests when they complain of chest pain, and

are significantly more likely than men to be under-treated for pain by doctors.

Policies and funding: following the money

Women’s health research is woefully underfunded in comparison to men's – anyone else fed up of having to buy pink so research can be carried out into breast cancer?

Less than 2.5% of publicly funded research is dedicated solely to reproductive health, yet one in three women in the UK will suffer from a reproductive or gynaecological health issue in their lives.

Why?

Health policy and funding decisions are often, if not usually, made by men with little or no experience or understanding of women’s health issues. Britain got its first health secretary – then the “president of the board of health” – in 1848. The first woman to hold the post wasn’t until 1974 (hurray Barbara Castle!) and there have been only four more since. A grand total of five out of 48.

But thanks to women speaking out, things are changing. The combined pressure of a host of grassroots menopause campaigner and groups got the last government to reduce the price of HRT in England (from over £200 a year to £19.80) and got the new Labour government to commit to helping menopausal women in the workplace.

Cultural stigma: the silent barrier

It’s not just the healthcare industry, however. We’re at fault, too. It’s only recently we’ve started to talk openly about periods or menopause. For generations, women have learnt to downplay or keep quiet about their pain, treating it as something to be endured.

In addition, some women have to fight against stereotypes or social stigmas imposed on them. Black women, for example, are seen as being strong and resilient so their pain and health concerns are dismissed or underestimated. Meanwhile, the experiences of people who are LGBTQ+ are rarely researched despite reporting less favourable health overall.

And let’s be honest, the sisterhood hasn’t always been entirely sisterly, too. I’ve had women who had no problems with their periods tell me my pain was all in my mind or not as bad as I made out. Personally, I’m not into the “I’m not like the other girls” attitude which judges women as less for suffering because of their biology. If you’re in pain, come and cry on my shoulder. And then we’ll rage to the world.

What can be done? Steps toward change

Awareness is growing and I’m going to blow my trumpet! From my own #KnowYourMenopause campaign to the brilliant work of groups including Endometriosis UK, Womb Cancer Support, Coppafeel and more, campaigns to break the silence are starting to shift the conversation. Politicians are also catching up, with governments around the world beginning to allocate funding toward research on women’s health. But there’s a long way to go and you can join in.

Advocacy: A posh word for “raising your voice”. Women’s health advocates are pushing for more research, better funding and policies that treat women’s health with the seriousness it deserves. The more we talk about these issues, the harder it is for policymakers to ignore them. Always remember: you as a voter have the power. Anyone can be an advocate – just get on social media (but please be nice and polite).
Education: We need doctors to be educated better on the differences between male and female healthcare. Many are now addressing this, but that needs to reach all levels to make a real difference. And this can’t be piecemeal – we can’t have, as I’ve heard many times, doctors saying they “don’t do” women’s healthcare or they don’t have an interest in, for example, menopause. That’s not good enough. (And please, can we have women’s healthcare posters that are more than mothers with children?)
Personal empowerment: And finally, we have to empower ourselves and each other to speak up. If something feels wrong, keep pushing for answers. Take a friend with you if you’re nervous or print out your questions and symptoms in advance. Demand to be heard and encourage others to do the same.

Women’s pain is real and it deserves attention. The politics of pain will continue to evolve and as it does, we have to keep asking for more – more research, more funding and more respect. We won’t be silent any more. It’s time for the world to listen.

Any of this sound familiar? Let me know your thoughts and…