Women and girls experiencing painful symptoms associated with reproductive health frequently find their pain is “dismissed” by healthcare professionals, according to a new report.
The cross-party Women and Equalities Committee (WEC) has raised concerns over how often women find their pain is “normalised” when they seek help – highlighting the rise in complaints about ‘medical misogyny’.
This is far from the first time medical misogyny has hit headlines but the report could mark a turning point, as the committee is urging the government to see it as “a wake-up call”.
Sarah Owen MP, the WEC chair, said: ”The NHS must urgently implement a training programme to improve the experience of treatment and diagnosis of reproductive-health conditions.
“Improving early diagnosis, including follow-up appointments, should be a key performance indicator for the Women’s Health Strategy for England.
“Individuals with a suspected or diagnosed reproductive-health condition should be offered specialist mental health support.”
So what is medical misogyny? And which famous faces have lent their voices to campaigning? Find out more below.
What is medical misogyny?
Put simply, medical misogyny refers to women being dismissed by doctors about health concerns, especially those related to reproductive health, such as severe pain and heavy or irregular bleeding.
The report found that, despite the prevalence of conditions including endometriosis, adenomyosis and premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD), women and girls can be forced to wait years for a diagnosis.
This leaves them to “suck it up” and endure pain and discomfort in the meantime – despite the fact their condition may be affecting their mental health, daily lives, relationships and fertility.
A lack of NHS options means women who can afford to are often resorting to shelling out for private care, the report said.
Which celebrities have spoken out?
Munchetty has adenomyosis, a condition that sees the lining of the uterus grow inside the muscular wall – but it took 32 years for doctors to diagnose her.
Naga Munchetty
Dave Benett
The TV star explained how she began suffering “very heavy” bleeding for 11 or 12 days at a time when she was just 15 years old.
She said: “Whenever I went to the doctor, I was told it was normal. […] It made relationships difficult.
“I had to have very understanding partners. I would worry about what I wore, particularly when I was in front of the camera because of leaking, but my adenomyosis was not diagnosed until I was 47.”
Pattison suffers from PMDD, a condition which causes severe physical and mental health symptoms in the weeks before your period.
Vicky Pattison
Ian West / PA Wire
“Not a lot of people know about it or understand it,” she told the committee. “It is commonly misdiagnosed in women as ADHD or depression.
“The first thing I was offered was antidepressants. I am not depressed; I am happy, I am strong, I am mentally well, I have a good life. It is not that I am depressed; I have PMDD. The fact that was offered as a first port of call was incredibly frustrating.”
What does the report recommend?
The report lays out a series of recommendations to “urgently improve” the experiences of women and girls trying to access a diagnosis and/or treatment.
These include calling for:
- the NHS to ensure healthcare professionals are kept up to date on diagnostic and treatment options
- the government to make obstetrics and gynaecology a mandatory rotation in GP training
- the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) to encourage practitioners to specialise in women’s health and allocate more funds for training
- improvements on the NHS website and app so it can become “a first port-of-call to prevent misinformation”
- an increase in funding for research into the causes, diagnosis and treatment of women’s reproductive health conditions
- the government to commit to reducing waiting times for an endometriosis diagnosis to less than two years
