Medical Gaslighting Is Real — Doctors Don't Believe Women, And It Has To Stop
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By BERNADETTE ROE
A study by the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) in 2022 revealed that 29% of women have reported being dismissed by their doctor.
Several physicians have theorized reasons as conscious and unconscious gender bias, the historical silencing of women, and an expectation of them to be cooperative and docile.
"I believe that psychological and social influences contribute to women being gaslighted," Dr. Bella Grossman says, "Women may have a harder time […] advocating for themselves."
KFF's health survey also found that 15% of women reported that their doctors didn't believe them when they reported medical issues and symptoms.
Physicians brush women off with the assumption that physical ailments are simply a manifestation of mental health issues, leading to untreated illness, neglect, and even death.
Studies show that women are left out of 80% of pain studies, and when voicing pain, they're more frequently recommended psychotherapy, while men are given pain relief.
Dr. Jennifer Hermina Mieres says that many doctors still operate from an antiquated form of medicine and stresses that women must be assertive when treatment is ineffective.