02/02/2026
Think s*xism and misogyny in the medical field are myths?
Think again.
* Women are 50% less likely to be prescribed painkillers compared to men who have undergone the same procedure. (Harvard)
* Women presenting with severe stomach pain in emergency rooms wait 33% longer than men with the same symptoms. (AEM)
* Women spend an average of 2.5 years longer than men obtaining a cancer diagnosis, and up to four years longer for more than 700 other diseases. (Copenhagen)
* Women are seven times more likely than men to be misdiagnosed and discharged while having a heart attack. (NEJM)
* Seventy percent of chronic pain patients are women, yet only 20% of pain studies are conducted on women. (Harvard)
* Women are twice as likely as men to develop adverse reactions to prescription medications, often because clinical trials are predominantly male-focused. (JWH)
* Women and minorities are up to 30% more likely than white men to experience misdiagnosis. (NBC)
* Seventeen percent of women felt they were treated differently in a doctor's office due to their s*x, in comparison to 6% of men. (Berkeley)
* Seventy-eight percent of autoimmune disease patients are women. (CDC)
* Women are three times more likely to develop rheumatoid arthritis, four times more likely to develop MS, twice as likely to have a heart attack, and twice is likely to suffer from a chronic pain condition. (Berkeley)
* A published medical study was once done to determine whether women with endometriosis are more attractive than those without. Also, more studies have been done regarding male baldness than endometriosis. (F&S)
* Actors receiving CPR in training videos and mannequins used for practice are exclusively male.
* Between 2019 and 2023, there were almost twice as many all-male clinical trials as all-female ones. The NIH only began requiring female participation in clinical trials in 1993. (MHRA)
*Women are frequently denied pain management for painful gynecological procedures, such as colposcopies and IUD placement.
* A review of over 1,400 studies on brain structure and function in autism revealed that only 4 focused exclusively on females, while 434 focused solely on males. (PMC) Another study found that 80% of autistic females remain undiagnosed by age 18. (UCLA)
The data doesn’t lie: s*xism in medicine didn’t end once women were finally allowed to practice medicine — it’s deeply embedded in how the system works today. Women continue to face delayed diagnoses, biased treatment, and exclusion from research that shapes medical care.
As long as the medical field continues to treat women’s health as secondary, women will keep paying the price — through pain, missed diagnoses, and even lost lives.
Until the system fully acknowledges and works to dismantle these deep-rooted biases, women will remain unseen, unheard, and unfairly treated.
It’s long past time for meaningful change.
~ Emily Elizabeth Anderson
***Wow! The response to this post has been overwhelming. Thank you to each brave survivor who shared their story in the comments. As an advocate for women whose bodies are breaking down after abuse, I’m always looking for new ways to offer support. I’m currently creating a new supportive space for women who are battling chronic illness after abuse. Here’s the waitlist to be notified when this resource launches! https://www.thrivingforward.org/chronic-illness-after-abuse-support-group
(Several stats provided by )
