Medical Misogyny: 25 Times Doctors Ridiculed Serious Symptoms Of A Female Patient

A horrifying reality that women face when experiencing extreme discomfort caused by an ailment is that their pain may be dismissed by doctors when they make a complaint. Recently, the issue gained attention when a TikTok video went viral after asserting that there is a very clear sex bias in pain management. The video gained popularity, especially amongst women, who recalled their personal experiences of having their pain ignored or being told they are exaggerating by medical professionals. Scroll to read the rage-inducing details of when a doctor’s bias showed, in the gallery below.

#1

The only way my older sister was able to get a certain medicine was by sending her husband in instead, so he claimed he had bronchitis and he got the medication she had been asking ages for

#2

Watching the treatment my husband received for his vasectomy versus the way my pain was treated before, during, and after being pregnant/birth haunts me.

#3

COLPOSCOPY: where they hole punch your cervix for biopsies. You bleed for days after. GETTING AN IUD: where they insert a device into your uterus. BOTH OF WHICH ARE DONE W/O SEDATION OR MEDS AFTERWARD

#4

brought my mom to the er for INTENSE pain, they said stomach bug. week later went to diff ER, she apparently had an acute kidney infection that almost turned septic. didn’t take her seriously at all

#5

Just remembering my friend who died from a brain aneurism after being turned away from the ER three times. Rip Lauren Buxton. You deserved better.

#6

I had internal bleeding, ruptured organ, I was actively dying, vomiting blood.. and they refused to give me anything more than a few endone. it lasted two days, worse than child birth. my bf had his tooth removed and he was given months supply of endone and valium.. even he noticed how bad drs treat women.

#7

Husbands vasectomy got him twice as much oxy prescribed as my cesarean. He was told bedrest then low activity.. I was given a newborn and told to get up. 👍 this is our reality

#8

I audit over 2100 randomly selected surgeries every year, I follow pre, intra and post. The study is correct. For the same procedure a male will get up to 3 pain scripts. Women 0-1. Data.

#9

Raise ur hand if u ever went to get something checked out and they simply blamed it on ur period!!

#10

#11

I had an ovarian cyst that burst, Dr told me it was probably just constipation.

#12

A couple weeks ago I went to the er for kidney pain as I have a small kidney that often gets stones. A man infront of me also had kidney stone symptoms. He was sent straight to the dr to be put on IV fluids to help flush his kidneys. Me however with pre existing kidney issues was sat in a waiting room for 5 hours, told to keep hydrated and come back if it gets worse. Had to ask to have my cannula removed as they forgot. He walks out, fully hydrated , given pain meds and never had to sit in the waiting room.

#13

me and my brother both had a sinus infection and I also had an ear infection as well so I was in a LOT of pain and they prescribed MY BROTHER 800MG of ibuprofen and told ME TO TAKE OTC TYLENOL.

#14

I’m having a kidney removed this year because 4 male doctors told me my pain and symptoms were all in my head. It took a massive kidney infection that almost k****d me for them to believe me.

#15

I went to the doctor for excruciating pain in my side and trouble breathing. the doctor told me “toughen up princess, have some panadol and you’ll be okay”. I had to call an ambulance that same night

#16

I had a heart condition that was misdiagnosed as anxiety and depression until 28yo. I have zero faith in doctors.

#17

The way they literally do a c section that goes through skin, muscle, fat and what ever else they go through and only give you paracetamol after

#18

All 4 wisdom teeth > Tylenol. Cluster headache > Tylenol. Distal humerus and shattered elbow > guess.. THAT’S RIGHT!! TYLENOL

#19

My gallbladder was so scarred and inflamed it was literally fusing to my other organs and for three years I was told “it’s probably just stress!”

#20

and yet it’s women who have lower pain tolerances, huh??

#21

My cousin puked all day everyday for 6+ months. She threw up so much she lost 100 pounds. Anytime she went to the ER they accused her of drug seeking. She looked emaciated, they still didn’t listen.

#22

I had a surgery and a male nurse didn’t give me oxygen even after the anesthesiologist said I need extra oxygen. And yes anesthesiologist was a woman. I cried and tried to breathe in bed for 3 days

#23

I have endometriosis, I had to fight for decent pain meds. Husband hurt his shoulder and had pills thrown at him. Wtf was that about.

#24

I was given a mint after my IUD insertion. Nothing else during before or after

#25

A hospital dismissed my mom’s pain as her fibromyalgia after she said it wasnt that repeatedly, they just sent her home. She ended up having a brain aneurysm!!!

Shanilou Perera

Shanilou has always loved reading and learning about the world we live in. While she enjoys fictional books and stories just as much, since childhood she was especially fascinated by encyclopaedias and strangely enough, self-help books. As a kid, she spent most of her time consuming as much knowledge as she could get her hands on and could always be found at the library. Now, she still enjoys finding out about all the amazing things that surround us in our day-to-day lives and is blessed to be able to write about them to share with the whole world as a profession.