Research has revealed that women’s pain is being consistently dismissed across various stages of their lives, sparking concerns about inadequate healthcare.
A comprehensive study of 5,000 adults shed light on the widespread misunderstanding and mistreatment of everyday pain.
Notably, a staggering 81% of young women aged 18-24 reported feeling ignored or dismissed when describing their pain, compared to 73% of their male counterparts.
Furthermore, the study found that 40% of women experiencing menopause-related pain had their symptoms dismissed or overlooked. Moreover, one in six women over 45 reported waiting over a year for an accurate diagnosis of their condition.
The findings also revealed that 19% of all women surveyed felt their pain was dismissed by healthcare professionals for an extended period of over five years. Consequently, one in five women reported that their careers had been impacted due to their ongoing pain.
The research was conducted by Nurofen and its parent company Reckitt as part of their annual Gender Pain Gap Index Report, which has been tracking this issue since 2022.
Gabby Menezes-Forsyth, 25, recounted her harrowing experience with extreme period pain as a teenager, which ultimately led to an endometriosis diagnosis.
She shared: “I felt from an early age that the extreme period pain I was experiencing seemed to be worse than others, but I didn’t have a frame of reference for what was normal.
“I felt dismissed as ‘dramatic’ by everyone – from loved ones to teachers. In frequent trips to the GP, their dismissal never appeared cruel or to suggest that I wasn’t in pain, but rather that there was nothing they could do.”
“Ultimately, it was only after suffering a miscarriage at age 22 that I was diagnosed with a biconcave uterus and endometriosis.”
“Even with the clarity that the diagnosis offered, it was a difficult realisation to come to, understanding that this would always be something that would impact my life.”
The research reveals that the average Gap is currently at 7%, while this year’s Gap has seen a reduction (2% in 2024 vs 11% in 2023). However, an increased number of women felt their pain was overlooked or dismissed (62% in 2024, 49% in 2023 and 56% in 2022).
Moreover, a third of women felt their pain has affected their mental health – a rise from a quarter in the 2023 report. Alarmingly, one in four even began to doubt their own sanity, believing their pain wasn’t real after having it dismissed.
Clare Knox, founder and CEO of See Her Thrive, commented: “So much is talked about the Gender Pay Gap – a similar issue, which needs fixing.”
“But this report shows the Gender Pain Gap is also holding so many women back from reaching their ‘true’ potential and climbing the career ladder.”
“We need to start supporting women to thrive in every aspect of their lives, whether that’s helping them manage pain so they can carve out the career they want, or working with organisations to create environments which empower women’s health in the workplace.”
A mere 20% of individuals feel at ease discussing their pain with HR or their manager at work, despite the workplace being a common setting where pain is frequently overlooked.
Worryingly, 10% of girls as young as 10-15 have had their pain dismissed by a healthcare professional.
Dr Bill Laughey, senior medical scientist at Reckitt’s senior medical scientist, commented: “With three years of data, we can now start to see the nuances of how women’s pain is dismissed and, crucially, use this insight to help address gender biases for those who experience it the most.”
“This complements our wider commitments to our research programmes, working with Imperial Consultants, London to identify what education the next generation of HCPs want to see while supporting the Royal College of GPs in providing training around gender bias in primary care settings.”
