Women have traditionally heen victims of healthcare mistreatment, but how?
The Context
There is a long running trope of women not being taken seriously when they visit a doctor or clinical office and it has sparked confrontation on social media sites like Instagram and Twitter. Gender based discrimination is rampant in many professions including medical fields and it affects patients greatly. It also carries into how women of color, disability, mental condition and diverse body types are often treated unsatisfactorily and misdiagnosed.
The How
Factors facing female patients include a multitude of facets such as obesity or mental health disorders. Obesity specifically is strongly judged by many doctors since it can cause type 2 diabetes and coronary heart disease which leads some biased professionals to conclude that any problems an obese woman faces are caused by that trait. Also, if a patient is frequently showing up to doctor visits, their issues can be overlooked as just another mental health episode brought on by anxiety or even ptsd. Women are 2-3 times more likely to develop both of those disorders compared to men.
The Why
There are a lot of bias when it comes to female patients between their health professionals but why? This is likely because of personal discrimination in one part, recognized as a result of implicit personal bias. Another reason can be cultural norms that the doctor and patient are separated by, making it harder for women seeking treatment. This can be combatted if more women advocate for personal rights in professional healthcare spaces like clinics and do personal research to make sure they aren’t getting misdiagnosed.
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