Medical misogyny - women are being systematically dismissed...

[JustineMumsnet]

Hi all,
For years on Mumsnet, women have been describing the same experience when they try to get medical help.
Pain dismissed as “normal”.
Symptoms blamed on stress or hormones.
Concerns waved away before anyone investigates properly.
Any one story can be written off as bad luck. But when tens of thousands of women describe the same thing, year after year, it points to something bigger.
That’s why we’ve launched a Mumsnet campaign to tackle medical misogyny: the systemic dismissal, minimisation or disbelief of women’s symptoms in healthcare.
Earlier this month we published a report analysing nearly 100,000 first-person posts on Mumsnet between 2015 and 2025. The same patterns appear again and again: dismissal, delays, and women feeling they have to fight to be taken seriously.
We’ve already shared the report with Health Secretary Wes Streeting, and over the coming months we’ll be using the evidence gathered on Mumsnet to push for change. In the meantime, please do keep sharing your own experiences here and share the campaign wherever you can. The more noise we make, the harder this is to ignore
Thanks,
Justine

@JustineMumsnet thank you - that's really good and much needed.

I never knew this existed till last year.

I went to the drs with an issue & was prescribed pain killers and told it was just peri menopause & given a list of syptoms of peri menopause/menopause.

this went on for months just being prescribed painkillers. Thinking I had seen a dr to find out it was an advanced medical practitioner the whole time. Them not realising I was describing nerve pain in my legs.

then the new online system is implemented and the rule that if you keep going back about the same things they need to look into it more. So the surgery had an actual dr doing the triage. They called me in immediately, was in the drs office for 40 mins as an appointment. Get prescribed drugs for nerve pain & referred for an MRI.

I spent unneeded months unable to sit and being fobbed off. MRI gave a diagnosis . Still the dr’s did nothing other than continue to prescribe painkillers and the nerve drugs. Still in constant pain. Go back to drs again & they have changed the medications to ones that help the actual condition I was diagnosed with, that is nothing to do with peri menopause

I am finally nearly a year later getting some relief.

what worries me is finding that once you get to a certain age this is how you are treated everything is just deemed peri menopause. Then also the fact it is still so incredibly hard to see an actual dr & be listened to. I knew something was wrong and it wasn’t peri menopause but couldn’t get anyone to listen to me

In the early 1990s, my mother’s eye issues were dismissed by two GPs as her being a ‘hysterical menopausal woman’. It was in fact her retina starting to detach and she nearly lost the sight in that eye. She took the two GPs to court and won.

That's exactly what we need. Another report and another campaign about women's experiences in the health system. That appeal to politicians to intervene over terrible outcomes. Because all the other ones are proving so impactful...

surely better than doing nothing about it though?

Mine are related to pregnancy but still medical misogyny.

• pregnant with youngest DC and had sickness unlike anything I have ever known. The only way to not be sick was to lie very still in a dim room with absolute silence because it was triggered by any sort of sensory stimuli including noise, which was great with three other DC kicking around. I went to the GP and, despite vomiting into the waste paper bin during the appointment, was told that I needed to just get on with it. Apparently vomiting 20+ times a day isn't debilitating, I needed to stop fixating on it, and after three previous DC I should have learned that sickness is a normal part of pregnancy. Have some ginger biscuits. Naturally I ended up at hospital who were great and prescribed me anti-sickness meds. When it came to refilling the prescription, the GP refused to issue them on the grounds that I had ignored previous advice about sickness being a normal part of pregnancy and because I was trying to pathologise a normal and healthy aspect of pregnancy.

• same pregnancy, morning after a caesarean delivery. I told staff I didn't feel right, I was in a lot more pain than I expected. I was told that I'd just had a caesarean and that it was normal. I said it wasn't and that not only was I in more pain than in my previous sections, it was a different sort of pain. They said my hormones were just making me more sensitive to it. The anaesthetist had written me up for diclofenac as pain relief because it's one of the few analgesics that doesn't make me sick. I wasn't allowed it because I was fussing over being asked to walk to the shower. I was genuinely in too much pain to walk and was told no walk, no pain relief. When I did shower, I was the told that diclofenac was too strong for me and I could have some paracetamol instead. I complained and the doctor came along to tell me that they cannot provide stronger painkillers and that caesareans, while uncomfortable, are not generally painful

• day 5, I was very unwell and rang the ward. I was told I had probably been overdoing it and to relax. I was getting myself overwrought and anxious, they said. I rang back a few hours later to say I really wasn't well, I was told I'd probably caught a bug from my children. Rang back around an hour after that to say I was vomiting, freezing cold, and thought I was going to die. I was told I probably had food poisoning, that I should have some water and should go to bed and sleep it off. Shortly after that, DH rang the because I was talking to people who weren't there and uncontrollably vomiting brown bile. Shocker, they listened when a man said something was wrong. Turns out I had sepsis.

Further medical misogyny:

• DH went to the GP to ask about the snip. GP said what if we got divorced and DHs new wife wanted kids the told DH not to get the snip and instead "send your wife in to see me and I'll sort her out with a coil or an implant." I was not at the appointment and my contraceptive choices were nothing to do with DH's appointment

• I'd been offered a medical intervention that I refused because I thought I was too invasive, I was emphatic that I didn't want it, that I did not consent to it, and that I was not going to change my mind. Doctor "I'm going to book you in for it" then turned to DH "get her to change her mind."

hi, could you support us with the lipoedema petition. This condition only affects women and thousands of us are being fobbed off / told to exercise when the only treatment is surgery - which the nhs won’t support or cover. We need 10,000 signatures and are almost half way. Thanks

https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/758164

Can this be extended to cover the dismissal of women when they are advocating for their child? My children get much better treatment when they father takes them to a GP than I do. When one of my children were seriously ill a few years ago we were dismissed by 7 different doctors, despite her having clear sepsis markers. Luckily, the second hospital I took her to were kind enough to do blood tests and get her treated in time! Similarly, my eldest a rheumatologist tried to dismiss her several times - dismissing me as an anxious mother - and both times my fears were correct and blood tests showed autoimmune issues.

I have several stories I medical misogyny in my own care. It took me 22 years to get an endometriosis diagnosis, which I believe is mostly due to the lack of resources poured into women’s healthcare rather than attitudes of individual doctors (though I suppose this is indicative of my signet in wider societal values). I’ve also had other health issues dismissed as anxiety for years before getting diagnoses of physical health conditions.

Yes. And the kicker I learned years back, they never explain about diasis recti. I walked around after 4 kids with a fat fur until I found out by luck. Along with all tove said. Pure mysognay

Women (me) being told that a hysteroscopy was a simple procedure and all I would feel is a pinch. I refused to have it without GA and was berated and told that I was an outlier, that so many women have it done every day and none of them have the worry about pain that I described. Awful experience having to stand my ground, I was made to feel weak and dramatic. I got GA eventually, but had to really fight for it. Gynae in general, whether male or female led is Gaslighting Central and needs to be addressed. Not just for hysteroscopy either.

Is there a way for women to share their experiences and support this campaign if they don’t feel comfortable posting details publicly? (Multiple or long-running experiences with medical misogyny could mean having to leave information out, or not sharing at all, for those who’d prefer to avoid being identifiable to people IRL who’ve heard these stories before).

Hi Sporkmaiden if you're happy to email your story - [email protected] - we can use anonymously - it won't be linked to any of your mumsnet posts. Big thanks.

My dear sister was back and forth to the GP for about 5 months with bladder infection symptoms which would clear up with antibiotics

The GP ended up refusing to see her and in a triage call was told “Look! We have done everything we can, there’s nothing wrong with you, but if you feel different go to A&E”

As my sister couldn’t pass urine, she had no choice but apologetically go to A&E, worried that she was wasting their time. There she was diagnosed with a bladder tumour

It turned out to be grade 4 and she was dead within 3 agonising months.

Yes.
Years of crippling period pain dismissed
Years of fatigue and pain dismissed
Never taken seriously
Offered antidepressants when I am not depressed I am unwell
Medically gaslit and fobbed off

I'm so sorry

I've had a temporary condition for almost thirty years most of my life no-one is interested in resolving it or the damage its caused to my body I met a man who had the same condition they gave him surgery within 12 months to fix it

Friend of mine thought her child might have asthma back and forth to the drs being dismissed i told her to send her husband he walked out with inhalers and a treatment plan

I woke up on Saturday morning just gone with a raging UTI. went to the pharmacy where the (male) pharmacist said that as the symptoms had only just developed, don't be too hasty in taking antibiotics, wait for 3 days, use a hot water bottle, come back if your symptoms do not improve. The feeling of helplessness had me in floods of tears. I'm a 4p year old NHS worker. I endorse this campaign fully

I'm 61 and up until 18 months ago I was on hrt. I'm now struggling with vaginal dystrophy and other symptoms. I've been to see 2 GP's at my practice and I've been told by both that the risks are too high over 60. The British Menopause Society states that there is no cut off point. I don't smoke, drink and have no family history of breast or cervical cancer. I left in tears last time as I'm so frustrated that nobody will listen. I'll probably have to find the money to go private.

Another one.

DD having some significant period trouble, acute rather than chronic, so I rang the GP to be told "there are no female GPs available today". Spoke to DD who said she's fine with a male GP, their response was "male GPs don't see period cases". It's apparently practice policy and something to do with potentially needing to do an internal examination (DDs issue does not need this).

What. The. Actual. Fuck. How is it allowed that they can accept or refuse appointments based on patient and practitioner sex?

Hi everyone,

Thanks so much for taking the time to share your experiences on this thread - we’re reading them all and they’re continuing to help inform our campaigning.

As you might have seen, one of the asks of our Medical Misogyny campaign is improved education and training for clinicians, so that women’s health is better understood e.g. how conditions can present differently in women, as well as knowledge of sex-specific conditions like endometriosis.

At the moment there isn’t a consistent standard for this, which means - as many of you have described on this thread! - experiences can really vary depending on who you see. It’s something that comes up a lot on Mumsnet — women feeling their symptoms aren’t properly understood, or that their doctor isn't up to date with the latest guidance on things like HRT.

We’ve just launched a Parliamentary petition calling for mandatory training in women’s health. Too many women are still being dismissed, misdiagnosed or left waiting for years — and it shouldn’t be this way. If you’d like to help push for change, you can add your name here: https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/764079

Thanks,
MNHQ

The report is a depressing read, I’ve signed.

my gp, was insistent I was a hysterical woman, he shouted at me and recorded that I had health anxiety. Turns out I had cancer along with some other issues, none of which were hysteria.

Endometriosis and breast cancer medical gaslighting

For years I had crippling periods, the pain was intolerable, finally I was diagnosed with endometriosis, but for years dismissed and not given any effective pain relief. I made lifestyle changes, had Acpuncture and ultimately gave up work.

Then I was diagnosed with breast cancer at 45, I was not in menopause, there are too many horrible things that happened. I was put on zoladex and tamoxifen and immediately told I may have menopausal symptoms. It was unbearable, my weight plummeted a stone and a half, I had hot sweats, then shivering cold that were like fever, so many other symptoms, I immediately had urgency incontinence, which I was repeatedly told was not because of the drugs, it is now acknowledged in medical research that these drugs can cause incontinence . There were so many other things that were just so difficult with the symptoms and doctors .
I was treated as hysterical and told to eat more, to put on weight. I came off the drugs after 6 months as I could not function and my weight kept dropping- I was slim to start. Ultimately I private treatment after that only because my parents paid for it. My periods never came back after only 6 months on these drugs.

For the cancer I was told I had to have a marker clip in my breast lump, no proper informed consent. I was not told I had to have a mammogram straight after, which I find incredibly painful due to being slim with small breasts.

Basically it’s a huge long needed inserted into the your breast that the doctor uses to put metal marker clip put in the lump. The doctor could not get the clip the lump and I was lying on the table with her pounding on the end the of this huge needle that was inside in my breast trying to get the clip in the lump, literally thumping the end of it. It was so brutal, then I was told you have to have a mammogram, straight away, which she did not tell me before the procedure. I said no and totally overridden, I was so shocked and distraught by the pounding on my breast and the whole episode . I came home and just lay on the floor crying.

I was diagnosed bc again in 2020. Again symptoms of Letrazol are described as “menopausal”. This drives me crazy, these cancer drugs strip your body oestrogen, it is not the menopause. While in menopause oestrogen drops off significantly It is not totally shut off overnight. Those of us these drugs have less oestrogen than a 90 year old woman and again I find my reported side effects are dismissed, ignored and not properly reported on my medical notes.

Breast cancer oestrogen deprivation must stop being called “ menopause” the gaslighting of women on the medication, the dismissive attitude about side effects especially longterm, in bone health, heart heath, sugar metabolism etc was not discussed with me at all. I am at the same hospital and I find it hard to trust the doctors. This is not informed consent.

my weight has ballooned for the first time in my life, I can not shift it, no matter what. Looking at the medical research, these drugs interfere with sugar metabolism and can make you insulin resistant. Again the oncology department just don’t want to know. I am now on weight loss injections. I have intense joint pain, and migraines that are so bad I can not function when I have them. The gaslighting of the doctors makes it so hard to deal with.

what I want to see is total oestrogen deprivation named properly and differentiated from normal menopause. Women are being gaslighted, I don’t really have any option, but to take Letrazol now, but if I had been given full information on the drugs, had my side effects taken seriously and felt my doctors were onside, it would make life so much easier.

I am on a Facebook pages for women on aromatase inhibitors ( Letrazol etc ) and the experience is so similar for many women. I am finding more help and support there about side effects and how to manage them, than the hospital.

total oestrogen deprivation needs to be named for what it is! Doctors stop calling it “menopause “ and take our side effects seriously

My lovely neighbour went backwards and forwards to the doctor for several years with pain in one leg. She was repeatedly fobbed off and told it was her age, women get aches and pains, and to take paracetamol. Yes, well - it was cancer and was eventually diagnosed far too late, by which time it had spread and nothing could be done. If they had taken her seriously early on she could have had treatment and might still be here now.

I had horrendous fatigue for months after my son was born.

He was my first so I had no comparator and assumed it was just normal. My mum eventually persuaded me to go to the GP who insisted it was PND - i told him is not because I've had depression and this feels very different - exhausted, not depressed. He ignored me.

Eventually I went back and he did bloods and found out I was hypothyroid virtually to the point of requiring hospitalisation.

In my teens I had horrendous period pain for which I was given the pill and otc ibuprofen and struggled on. Eventually in my 40s I was given cocodamol which was a total game changer. I don't know why I had to struggle for years with 2 days every 25 being in agony and basically told its normal, get on with it, everyone else does.

If men had periods it would be different.