Women With Autoimmune Conditions Are More Likely to Be Misdiagnosed and Face Delays in Diagnosis
A new international study reveals that women with autoimmune conditions face significantly longer diagnosis delays and are more frequently dismissed as having psychosomatic or mental health issues compared to men. These delays can lead to permanent organ damage and reduced quality of life.
Why it matters
It highlights systemic gender bias in medical diagnostics, which has profound implications for patient health outcomes and trust in the healthcare system.
If you're told your symptoms are “all in your head” when something is physically wrong, it can leave you feeling dismissed and filled with self-doubt. In a new international study of adults with autoimmune diseases, researchers found that this scenario was more likely for women — an especially notable conclusion because autoimmune conditions typically occur more often in women than in men.Investigators found that women with autoimmune diseases were more likely than men to report being told their symptoms were driven by a mental health condition or were psychosomatic (meaning caused or made worse by mental or emotional factors).
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