Womens’ experiences of their bodies ignored

[RHTawneyonabus]

www.theguardian.com/society/2020/jul/08/denial-of-womens-concerns-contributed-to-medical-scandals-says-inquiry

This is pretty damming as to how little weight the medical profession gives to woman’s experiences and health and the lack of research and interest into how our bodies function. Even very recently. Concerns are dismissed as woman being unreasonable or over reacting leading to massive cock-ups

We have a long way to go in this still.

Such a scandal and so ironic at a time when the use of the word woman has become forbidden. How on earth we can make any progress until women are allowed to speak freely I cannot imagine?

Sadly I have generally found female GPs and other healthcare professionals less understanding than male ones. GPS especially.
I have a long history of PMDD, postnatal illness and hormone related mood swings. Female HCPs have been dismissive, but males have at least been sympathetic and tried to help.

@bonzo77 @bluefoxmug

Also sodium valoprate greatly exacerbating or triggering PCOS in women who are genetically prone to it. This was my experience.

And the movement disorder I struggle with still after many years caused by another psychiatric drug. I am not anti psychiatry, I think drugs have their place in mental health but when I have tried to have my experiences heard and validated by that profession I end up shut down. And get fobbed off with a label of Psychogenic Dystonia or FND. Or told my PCOS was caused by me just being fat and "try slimming world, dear."

@borntobequiet

Sadly I have generally found female GPs and other healthcare professionals less understanding than male ones. GPS especially. I have a long history of PMDD, postnatal illness and hormone related mood swings. Female HCPs have been dismissive, but males have at least been sympathetic and tried to help.

me too. PCOS symptoms due to genes (did not find that out until years after onset) full blown since age 16 and soem emerging symptoms (extrme flooding heavy periods, then lack of periods and back again to flooding) since age 11, then exacerbated by sodium valoprate and olanzapine I took for MH issues (which PCOS did not help). Female GP dismissed the fact that period cramps had me doubled over and months of flooding caused me to be bed bound- "focus on your MH issues, the period stuff is not serious, just a nuisance. A female nurse at an urgent care centre was dismissive when I walk in sobbing (and am not a crier) saying "I have had enough- take my womb out". Took a brilliant consultant endocrinologist who specialised in PCOS to actully listen seriously. He was a man. lovely man. I had a tough upbringing with different forms of abuse by men, so it was wonderful to meet a man who was not only "safe" but listened to me.

I have a theory that women doctors tend to think when we go into their surgeries saying we are having bad periods probably project their own issues on to us (ie "well, I sometimes have bad periods as well" , meaning they feel a bit achy bloated or grumpy. Me, I felt like a knife was twisting my insides, nauseous, faint, dizzy... not to mention the endocrine/testosterone issues with PCOS ("well, I crave sugar and get tired mid afternoon too, I get spots and a moustache too..." not thinking that the average hormonal woman's experience is nothing like the hell on earth that is PCOS or endometriosis.

That's just my theory, though, Could be wrong.

given the common experience of women having their symptoms or reports of 'odd behaviour' dismissed as "just women'.

Strangely enough DH and I know of three people who have had neurological problems we suspect are associated with covid. We've been worried about affects on the brain for some time.

One was hospitalised in December. We've had an odd pattern of pneumonia locally (there is a connection with china with the group we know of who were unusually ill in December). She had brain complications. In her case don't know whether it was definitely covid-19. In her 30s.

One of DHs male colleagues is struggling to get back to the level of cognitive ability at work before he had covid-19. He had a positive test. In his 40s.

The wife of one of DHs friends is having very serious neurological problems following being hospitalised with a confirmed case of covid. She was extremely ill. She's only just 50. Her teenage daughter is having to help care for her at present and they don't know if the symptoms are permanent.

But yes the more serious confirmed case is a woman.

What is so frustrating is that with "woman" being a dirty word, I fear nothing will change. Women will continue to be medically disadvantaged & suffer accordingly.

We need change