The high cost of neglecting women’s health
I’m just hoping the pain will be over soon.” This was a friend’s response when I asked her how she felt about her upcoming hysterectomy—a surgical procedure to remove a woman’s uterus. She had been suffering from chronic pelvic pain that got worse each time she had her monthly period. It was so debilitating at times that she would be forced to stay in bed and miss work. Some of the doctors she consulted either dismissed the pain as something “not out of the ordinary” among women or something psychologically related. It took several years before a doctor finally diagnosed her with endometriosis—a condition where tissue similar to the lining of the uterus grows outside its normal location, causing an inflammatory response, pain, and scarring.
Endometriosis is often called a missed disease because, despite the estimated 190 million reproductive-age women and girls who live with the condition, there is a high tendency for it to go undiagnosed. One study found that over 75 percent of participants who have endometriosis had been misdiagnosed with a mental illness or a different physical condition. The disease negatively affects a woman’s fertility, long-term health, and productivity. Despite its far-reaching impact on women’s well-being, there continues to be a glaring lack of research about the etiology and treatment for it.
This issue reflects a broader gender imbalance in access to health care. An analysis by the United States National Institutes of Health found that research on women’s health is critically underfunded compared to amounts allocated for conditions that primarily affect men. The disparity has led to a dearth of knowledge about diseases that disproportionately affect women, like migraine, headaches, anxiety disorders, endometriosis, and other women-specific conditions. A striking example of this is that in 2015, there were five times more studies on erectile dysfunction than on premenstrual syndrome. There is also a lack of understanding of how certain disorders present different symptoms for women compared to men.
Research gaps do not just hinder proper diagnosis; they also compromise the kind of treatment that women receive. Historically, women were underrepresented in clinical trials due to fear that their hormones would affect the results. Since drug safety profiles had been focused mainly on male participants, women currently face a higher risk of adverse reactions because the trials failed to fully account for how particular medicines could be metabolized more slowly by the female body. Multiple sclerosis, which predominantly affects women, used to be considered “hysteria.” To this day, the disease continues to receive insufficient funding, slowing the progress of developing more effective treatments.
Outdated perceptions have perpetuated an incorrect and harmful notion that women should be able to endure a certain level of suffering before seeking meaningful medical interventions. “Pain bias” is a well-documented phenomenon where health-care providers tend to underestimate women’s levels of discomfort. This most likely stems from gender-based stereotypes that women, due to their childbearing role, are biologically and emotionally more capable of enduring physical pain than men. An unfortunate consequence of this is that women tend to receive less effective pain management treatment, with some of their concerns being dismissed as psychosomatic or simply “part of being a woman.”
Apart from being unjust, deprioritizing women’s health concerns comes with missed opportunities. A 2024 report by the World Economic Forum and McKinsey Health Institute estimates that closing the investment gap in women’s health-care could contribute $1 trillion annually to the global economy by 2040. This is further supported by a 2021 study by RAND and Women’s Health Access Matters, demonstrating the economic potential of investing in women’s health research. For example, increasing funding for coronary artery disease research in women from $20 million to $40 million could yield a return of 9,500 percent. Increasing from $6 million to $12 million allocated to women-centered rheumatoid arthritis research could lead to a return of 174,000 percent.
Investing in female scientists is a key step toward addressing the disparity. Studies show that research teams composed of women are 35 percent more likely to develop medical treatments that address women’s needs compared to their all-male counterparts. However, it is important to note that research will always follow where the funding is. This means the need for more funders to prioritize neglected women’s health conditions and to allocate resources to fill these gaps is equally crucial to the solution.
“I feel relieved that someone validated that my pain is real and that it’s not just in my head,” my friend further shared. So long as women’s health issues are seen as an afterthought or niche concern, women will continue to receive compromised care. Society must treat women’s health as a legitimate and urgent priority: Allocate significant funding, drive innovative research, and inspire better policies. Only then can we create a health-care system that values women’s experiences and well-being with the seriousness and dignity it deserves.
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eleanor@shetalksasia.com
