Females with autoimmune diseases 'less likely to be believed' than males and face longer diagnostic delays

edited by Sadie Harley , reviewed by Robert Egan

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Add to Preferred Sources Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain Females with autoimmune diseases are significantly more likely than males to have their autoimmune disease misdiagnosed as a psychiatric or psychosomatic condition, according to a study of more than 6,600 patients.

In an international study published in eClinicalMedicine , researchers analyzed the reported diagnostic experiences of 6,607 people with autoimmune diseases. The research, led by the University of Cambridge and University of East Anglia (UEA), also found that females were more likely to face delays in getting a correct diagnosis, and hence the right treatment.