In the United States, women are persistently gaslighted by healthcare professionals about their physical and mental health. Their voices, concerns, and experiences are often minimized, leading to delayed diagnoses, inadequate treatments, and preventable suffering. Unfortunately, these gender disparities are not isolated incidents but reflect a broader crisis of neglect and ignorance. 

The Prevalence of Medical Gaslighting

Medical gaslighting is alarmingly common. Women seeking help are often told they’re “overreacting” or “imagining” their symptoms or advised that their symptoms are caused by anxiety or hormones. This occurs even when those symptoms indicate severe or life-threatening conditions. 

In cardiology, where heart disease is the leading cause of death for women, male-centric research has left doctors less able to recognize heart attack symptoms in women, which often differ from the “classic” symptoms seen in men. As a result, women suffering from heart attacks are 50% more likely to be misdiagnosed with panic attacks or indigestion, delaying care and increasing their risk of death.

This dismissal isn’t confined to a single diagnosis or specialty; it’s everywhere. Studies show that women presenting with acute abdominal pain in emergency rooms wait an average of 33% longer for treatment than men with similar symptoms. Moreover, women with chronic pain are more likely than men to be prescribed therapy or mental health assessments instead of proper pain relief, leading to substantial gender biases in pain management.

The Roots of Gender Bias in Healthcare

For centuries, women’s health issues were dismissed as “hysteria,” a term once used to describe a range of physical and mental health symptoms in women that couldn’t otherwise be immediately explained. While this term doesn’t exist in modern medicine, it continues in the way women’s symptoms are trivialized or linked to being “emotional” or “hormonal.”

A male-centric approach to research worsens this bias. Women have historically and continue to be underrepresented in clinical studies. Between 2013 and 2015, they made up only 29% to 34% of participants in phase 1 trials, leading to medicines being dosed and tested primarily on men despite well-documented gender differences in drug responses. This disparity contributes to women experiencing 50% to 75% more adverse drug reactions than men.

Male-focused training compounds the problem. Medical education has historically prioritized male physiology, leaving providers underprepared to recognize conditions that present differently in women. Even in recent years, training on women’s health remains overlooked. For example, fewer than one-third of obstetrics residency programs offer a menopause curriculum, leading to gaps in care for menopausal women.

Causes and Solutions of Medical Gaslighting

Gaslighting women in healthcare stems from one-size-fits-all medical approaches, a lack of gender-specific training, and ingrained stereotypes about women’s health. Many professionals still hold implicit biases, often assuming that women’s symptoms are linked to hormones or stress. 

Addressing this crisis requires systemic change, individual advocacy, and a move toward multidisciplinary care models: 

• Systemic Reform: Medical schools must emphasize the importance of gender-specific medicine in both training and practice. Increased funding for women’s health research is essential, as is ensuring the representation of women in leadership positions. Currently, only 25% of healthcare leadership roles globally are held by women, which must change to drive meaningful progress.
• Encouraging Self-Advocacy: Women must remember their symptoms are valid and that they deserve compassionate care. Advocacy begins with recognizing that being dismissed is unacceptable and finding a provider who listens is a right, not a privilege. Changing providers isn’t a betrayal. Keeping logs of symptoms, asking direct questions, and seeking second opinions can also make a difference. 
• Multidisciplinary Models: Care that integrates medical, psychological, and lifestyle factors is key to improving disparities. By fostering collaboration among specialists, multidisciplinary care reduces the likelihood of dismissal and ensures an all-inclusive approach to treatment. Addressing physical and emotional care also helps build trust between patients and providers, encouraging women to take an active role in their health.

The Role of Harmonia Healthcare

At Harmonia, we believe women deserve better. Better research, better treatments, and better care. The dismissal of women’s symptoms is not just an oversight; it’s a failure of our healthcare system, and we are here to change that.

By listening to women’s experiences and advancing the understanding of underdiagnosed and undertreated conditions, such as Hyperemesis Gravidarum (HG), Harmonia is bridging the healthcare gender gap. Our work focuses on elevating women’s quality of life through innovative care solutions and meaningful collaboration with leading physicians and scientists.

Gaslighting women in healthcare highlights why our mission is so vital. Every research breakthrough, every treatment we develop, and every advocacy effort we champion is dedicated to building a world where women’s concerns are never dismissed. A world where women’s health always comes first.