The gender bias in healthcare treatment remains a significant problem in the United States. A study from the Journal of Women’s Health found that middle-aged women with chest pain were twice as likely to be diagnosed with a mental illness as their male counterparts.
The problem is worse for Black women. A 2020 analysis of 3 million hospital patient admissions found that Black patients and under-represented minorities received up to 10 percent fewer early treatments for heart problems than white patients.
We’ve heard from many of our female listeners about the challenges they’ve faced receiving treatment.
Sarah in Baltimore shared this story with us:
I’m 28 years old and for the past 10 years I’ve been dealing with a chronic illness called porphyria. For the first seven years, I was diagnosed by many, many healthcare professionals. Not only in emergency rooms, but gynecologists, psychiatrists and hematologists. It took a genetic specialist to diagnose my sister and find out what we had going on.
Last month, we dedicated our program to unpacking the reasons why these gender and racial disparities exist in our healthcare system. Now, we are looking at creative solutions to the crisis.
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