Ignored and misdiagnosed: How medical misogyny harms women’s health

Most women reading this article have at some point left the doctor’s office feeling less assured than when they came in. A few vague statements about hormones and switching to a different Pill, and suddenly you’re on your way out with a hefty bill.

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At Kiindred, we’re lucky to work closely with experts including doctors, nurses, physiotherapists, and medical and pharmaceutical companies. It’s how we’ve come to closely appreciate the systemic barriers women continue to face, especially in healthcare.

For centuries, women’s pain has been dismissed, their symptoms downplayed, and their health concerns under-researched.

Medical misogyny, the systemic bias that results in women receiving poorer healthcare outcomes than men, remains a huge global issue today.

From delayed diagnoses to inadequate research funding, exclusion from medical trials, and a lack of understanding of female-specific health issues, the gender gap in medicine continues to affect women’s lives in profound ways. 

While progress is being made, it is not happening fast enough.

Why does it take so long for women to get diagnosed?

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Studies consistently show that women wait longer than men to receive a diagnosis for common medical conditions. 

Whether it’s heart disease, autoimmune disorders, or chronic pain conditions, women’s symptoms are more likely to be misdiagnosed, minimised, or even attributed to anxiety or stress rather than physical illness.

One of the most glaring examples is endometriosis, a debilitating condition affecting one in nine Australian women.

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The battle for endo diagnosis

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Endometriosis occurs when tissue similar to the lining of the uterus grows outside of it, causing severe pain, inflammation, and sometimes infertility. It can affect the bowel, bladder, and other organs, yet it still takes an average of seven to ten years for women to receive a correct diagnosis.²

Why?

1. Misdiagnosis is common

Endometriosis symptoms, such as intense pelvic pain, heavy periods, nausea, and digestive issues, are frequently mistaken for dysmenorrhea (severe period pain), irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), or even anxiety. 

Doctors often tell women to “manage” their pain rather than investigating further.

2. A culture of dismissal

Women have been taught for generations to “put up with” painful periods. Many doctors still see menstrual pain as normal, leading to delays in proper treatment.

3. Underfunded research

Despite affecting over 830,000 Australian women, endometriosis research has been historically neglected and underfunded. In 2022, the Australian Government finally took action, announcing $58 million for endometriosis research, education, and awareness.

While this is a positive step, it is decades overdue – and still not enough given the widespread impact of the disease.

Endometriosis is just one example of how women’s pain is dismissed, overlooked, or misunderstood. Another critical area where this is happening? Perimenopause.

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The struggle of Perimenopause

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For years, perimenopause – the transition phase before menopause – has been shrouded in mystery, misinformation, and medical neglect.

In fact, as a perimenopausal woman myself, I didn’t even know it was a thing until recently. Why has this been ignored? How have generations ‘put up with this’ for so long?

Even though half of the population will experience menopause, research in this field remains shockingly inadequate. 

Again, we’re left with the question of why.

1. It wasn’t considered a priority

Historically, medical research has prioritised reproductive health when it comes to women, focusing on fertility and pregnancy (women = babymakers), while largely ignoring what happens after. 

This has left perimenopause and menopause out of important medical conversations.

2. Doctors are often Ill-equipped

Many GPs and specialists receive minimal training on perimenopause, meaning women struggling with symptoms (like brain fog, mood swings, sleep disturbances, and weight gain) are often dismissed or misdiagnosed with anxiety, depression, or other unrelated conditions.

3. Hormone therapy was vilified for decades

When concerns were raised in the early 2000s about the risks of hormone replacement therapy (HRT), it led to widespread fear and a drastic drop in prescriptions. 

However, recent studies have found that for many women, HRT is safe and effective – misinformation still lingers.

Thankfully, change is finally happening. More research is emerging on perimenopause treatments, with a greater focus on hormonal and non-hormonal options. 

But just like with endometriosis, the lack of historical research means we’re playing catch-up.

Women’s medical testing has always been carried out on men

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For decades, medical research treated the male body as the default. Women’s bodies were considered “too complicated” because of hormonal fluctuations, so clinical trials were conducted almost exclusively on men – even for drugs specifically intended for women. Isn’t that wild!? As if women were just smaller-scale dudes. 

Some of the most shocking examples include:

Contraceptive pill trials on men

In the early days of birth control research, contraceptives were tested on male subjects, despite being designed for female use.  (I’m not sure how they measured its efficacy in stopping ovulation given that men don’t ovulate.)

Heart disease research ignoring women

Heart disease is one of the leading causes of death in women, yet until recently, almost all cardiovascular research was conducted on men – resulting in women receiving less accurate diagnoses and treatments.

Painkillers and dosage disparities

Women are often prescribed pain medication based on male-focused dosages, meaning they may be over- or under-medicated due to differences in metabolism.

The exclusion of women from clinical trials wasn’t rectified until 1993 when the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) finally mandated that women be included in medical research.

But the damage had already been done. Decades of gender-biased research still influence modern medicine today.

Even pads and tampons were tested on men!

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It wasn’t just medical research that overlooked women’s needs. Feminine hygiene products weren’t even tested with real period blood until recently.

For years, pads and tampons were tested using saline or water, despite period blood having a completely different viscosity and absorption rate. This meant that many products were poorly designed, failing to meet real-world needs.

Thankfully, manufacturers are now starting to change testing methods, but it is gob-smacking that it took this long for such a basic consideration to be made.

I just assumed that the products we literally put inside of us would have been adequately tested.

 

Let’s demand better healthcare for women

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The gender gap in medicine is real, and its consequences are serious and long-lasting. Women continue to face:

• Longer diagnosis times for serious conditions like endometriosis and autoimmune diseases
• Misdiagnoses and dismissals of their pain and symptoms
• A lack of proper research and funding for women’s health issues
• Healthcare treatments based on male-centric studies, leading to suboptimal care

While we are seeing small improvements over time, the reality is that women’s health has been sidelined for too long.

This International Women’s Day, while we celebrate incredible women, let’s also continue to demand more for ourselves and future generations. 

Women’s health is not a niche issue. It’s a human rights issue that ultimately affects all of us (men included!)

Sources

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1. Endometriosis Australia (2023). “Understanding Endometriosis.”
2. Ballweg, M. L. (2019). “Impact of Delayed Diagnosis in Endometriosis.”
3. Australian Government Department of Health (2022). “National Action Plan for Endometriosis.”
4. National Institutes of Health (2020). “History of Women in Clinical Research.“
5. The Menopause Foundation of Australia (2023). “State of Menopause Research in Australia.”