New report shows women are far more likely to be minimized and misdiagnosed by healthcare providers

New report shows women are far more likely to be minimized and misdiagnosed by healthcare providers A new poll from Gallup and Pivotal reveals that over half of women aren't happy with how they've been treated by providers. And it’s impacting more than how we feel. When I walked into my six-week checkup following the birth of my second child, I was a wreck.

I was underslept and overtouched—like all moms of newborns—but I knew there was a deeper problem. I tossed and turned at night while worrying nonstop about my baby, I spent afternoons on the verge of panic attacks, and I was convinced I had a blood clot in my leg. Try to focus on sleeping and eating well as much as you can.” I was stunned.

I left the office feeling more lost than when I went in. Was this really just baby blues? Was I not strong enough to handle being a mom of two?

So I did what many women in this country are forced to do to get the health care they need: I became my own advocate, researching care options, and calling offices until someone took my symptoms seriously. (Turns out I had a raging case of postpartum anxiety amplified by my until-then undiagnosed Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. I got the care I needed because I found an amazing perinatal mental health specialist on my own.) My experience isn’t uncommon. A recent report conducted by the public opinion firm Gallup and Pivotal, a group of organizations founded by philanthropist Melinda French Gates, revealed that 51% of women report either being minimized, misdiagnosed, or ignored by healthcare providers, compared to 39% of men.

Over the past five years, 42% of women say they had to advocate for their health, compared to just 26% of men. A lot of them have been dealing with symptoms for months, even years, and still don’t have a clear explanation for what’s happening to them.” For much of recent history, women were overlooked or excluded entirely from clinical trials meant to advance medical understanding and practices. It wasn’t until 1993 that the U.S.

Congress passed a law requiring the inclusion of women in clinical research. A gap in knowledge prevents some clinicians from recognizing that poor sleep, anxiety, brain fog, joint pain, low libido and irregular periods might all be connected. They come in with five or six complaints that seem unrelated, each one gets handled separately, or they’re told everything looks normal,” Gularson explains.