Women’s Health Concerns Dismissed by Doctors: A Growing Problem

Women’s health concerns are frequently dismissed or minimized by healthcare providers, leading to delayed diagnoses and poorer health outcomes, according to recent reports and studies. This systemic issue, sometimes described as “gaslighting” in healthcare, affects women across a wide range of conditions and age groups.

A recent survey highlighted the pervasiveness of the problem. According to a 2025 study, 93% of women aged 25-34 reported feeling dismissed when seeking medical help. Over 40% of those women had to visit multiple providers to receive a diagnosis, and nearly the same percentage were prescribed medication without a thorough investigation of their symptoms. Many reported having their symptoms attributed to “stress” or being told they were “too young” for serious conditions.

The dismissal of women’s pain is a particularly concerning aspect of this issue. A 2024 analysis published in PNAS found that clinicians treat women and men differently when presenting with pain. Women waited an average of 30 minutes longer than men to be seen and were less likely to receive pain relievers for the same complaints. This disparity exists regardless of the gender of the healthcare provider.

Delayed Diagnoses and Serious Consequences

The consequences of dismissed symptoms can be severe. Rylie Toomey’s case, reported by Healthy Women earlier this month, illustrates the dangers of delayed diagnosis. In 2024, Toomey experienced severe abdominal pain and visited the emergency room, where a CT scan indicated only constipation. Repeated visits over several months yielded the same diagnosis. Eventually, she returned to the ER in excruciating pain, only to discover she had advanced colon cancer with metastasis and a perforated bowel.

Similar experiences are common. A 2018 study revealed that over half of women presenting with heart attack symptoms were not initially recognized as having a heart-related issue by their healthcare providers, compared to less than 40% of men. This misdiagnosis can delay critical treatment and worsen outcomes.

The Roots of the Problem

The dismissal of women’s health concerns is not a new phenomenon. Despite good intentions, gender bias persists within the healthcare system. Psychological and social influences contribute to female patients being more easily dismissed. The tendency to attribute symptoms to psychological factors, such as stress or anxiety, is a common example of this bias.

As Samantha Meints, a pain psychologist at Harvard-affiliated Brigham and Women’s Hospital, explained, “It’s also a phenomenon more relevant to women, whose pain is often minimized, dismissed, or undertreated by health care providers.” She cited an example of a patient whose severe headache was initially dismissed as a “post-sex headache” common in perimenopausal women, only to be discovered as three brain aneurysms after further investigation.

Gaslighting in Women’s Health

The phenomenon of dismissing women’s health concerns is sometimes referred to as “gaslighting,” where healthcare providers invalidate a patient’s experience and make them question their own perceptions. This can manifest as labeling heart disease as anxiety, attributing autoimmune disorders to depression, or dismissing ovarian cysts as “normal period pain.”

This pattern of dismissal can leave women feeling unheard, frustrated, and distrustful of the medical system. It also underscores the need for greater awareness among healthcare providers about the potential for gender bias in diagnosis and treatment.

The ongoing discussion and increasing awareness surrounding this issue are crucial steps toward improving healthcare for women and ensuring their concerns are taken seriously. Further research and advocacy are needed to address the systemic factors that contribute to the dismissal of women’s health concerns and to promote equitable healthcare for all.