Aston sought medical help after her symptoms—which included severe migraines, abdominal pain, joint dislocations, easy bruising, iron deficiency, fainting, tachycardia, and multiple injuries—began in 2015, per the New Zealand Herald. She was referred to Auckland Hospital, where a doctor accused her of causing her own illness. Because of his accusations, Aston was placed on psychiatric watch.
Research suggests women are often much more likely to be misdiagnosed than men. A 2009 study of patients with heart disease symptoms found 31.3 per cent of middle-aged women “received a mental health condition as the most certain diagnosis”, compared to just 15.6 per cent of their male counterparts. Additionally, a 2020 study found that as many as 75.2 per cent of patients with endometriosis—a painful disorder that affects the tissue of the uterus—had been misdiagnosed after they started experiencing endometriosis symptoms. Among those women, nearly 50 per cent were told they had a “mental health problem”.
Bias against fat people certainly crosses genders. But we also get to be women which has a completely separate and even worse bias. We are, no matter if we are far or thin, told we are imagining health issues and being dramatic. Gender specific care receives little to no funding, research or even interest. Even the majority of the drugs we take are not actually tested in women at all. We routinely get denied pain medication even for medical procedures like iud insertion. And if you’re a black woman? Forget about it. There are literally doctors who still believe that black women don’t feel pain like other people do and therefor don’t need medication. This isn’t even a joke.
article from 2022
Absolutely agree. The situation for women is seriously bad. I really hope that it’ll get better with time, though I’m honestly skeptical. Especially since Roe v Wade concluded in the worst possible way.