9 Examples of Gender Biases in Medicine

We live in a patriarchal and macho society that has been built through the differentiation of gender in all areas, always placing the female gender in an inferior position compared to male. This is produced and maintained through gender socialization, incorporating into our education and inputs unconsciously the positive valuation of the masculine gender and the punishment of attitudes feminine.

A very simple way to represent and become aware of this is through the representation of gender in different professions or jobs. Today, jobs that represent care, such as those derived from nursing or psychology, are fundamentally carried out carried out by women, in front of the immense masculine presence in the representative works of the industry of the construction or the industry.

Fortunately, times change and we become more aware of the gender stereotypes to be destroyed. One way to break with these gender stereotypes and beliefs developed as a result of gender socialization is by becoming aware of the presence of gender. gender biases in different contexts, learning about the ways in which gender modulates our actions and differentiates people, constantly undervaluing women women.

In this article, we are going to talk about gender biases in the world of medicine, proposing different examples that make us reflect on the equal treatment or not of men and women in the medical and clinical sector and in the diagnosis and development of treatments for people sick.

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What are gender biases?

Gender biases in the field of Medicine may refer to the existence of gender-based disparities and biases on the part of medical personnel that can influence medical care and biomedical research. These biases originate, as we have been commenting, through gender socialization and the perpetration of gender stereotypes and expectations. Projected in the diagnosis of diseases, on many occasions the same symptomatology is assumed for men and women, avoiding the gender perspective and developing one-dimensional approaches to diagnosis and treatment. treatment.

It has been concluded that gender stereotypes have a major impact on medical care. For example, men's strength and resistance to pain are assumed, while women are perceived as more sensitive. These influence the evaluation and treatment of the symptoms of the patients, being able to rule out those who do not conform to gender stereotypes and “what is expected” of a man or a woman.

Examples of gender biases in the field of Medicine

The consequences of gender biases in Medicine are detrimental to people's health. They can lead to misdiagnosis or delays that make further treatment difficult. In addition, many activists from the scientific community denounce the lack of a gender perspective in the biomedical research, making a dent in the maintenance of stereotypes and in hiding the reality of women.

For this reason, it is important to know several examples of gender bias in the world of Medicine. Let's see some of them, classified.

Gender biases in medical diagnosis

1. Symptom underestimation

Scientific evidence highlights the existence of an underestimation of symptoms towards women compared to men. This refers to minimizing their experiences or not considering them as serious as they can manifest. This carries significant dangers due to the possibility of a delay in diagnosis or even in the naming of their symptoms as "normal" or attributed to psychological causes such as anxiety or stress.

2. Probability of diagnostic tests

Some studies have shown that women are less likely to be referred for diagnostic tests compared to men. This can be related to the previous point, since due to the non-consideration of the symptoms as relevant, diagnostic tests are delayed or overlooked. The scientific literature has also made reference to the lack of knowledge about the differences in the presentation of diseases in women, which leads to not referring diagnostic tests or not to do so with the truly appropriate ones.

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3. Diagnosis of mental illness in women

There is a bias in the diagnosis of mental illnesses in women, receiving a much higher diagnosis of these disorders compared to men, especially in reference to depression or anxiety. This may be related to prejudices that interpret emotional symptoms as generalized among women, in addition to the lack of emotional expressiveness in men for fear of being weak or lower. Even though things are changing the origin of psychopathology can be very easily related to gender stereotypes, hand in hand with psychological illnesses such as hysteria or histrionics described until the mid-19th century and linked exclusively to women.

Gender biases in medical treatment

1. Different access to treatments

There are disparities in access to certain medical treatments between men and women. For example, in some cases, women face barriers to accessing reproductive health services, such as contraceptives or sterilization procedures, linked to prejudices with maternity and with the responsibility of women.

2. Different drug prescription

In relation to the previous point, clinical investigations have also referred to the Inequality in obtaining medication prescriptions based on the gender of patients. For example, studies have shown that men are more often prescribed strong pain relievers, as that, if they report having pain, this pain is considered more important than if it is reported by a woman. Women, however, are prescribed sedatives or antidepressants to a greater extent, linked to previously mentioned stigma that highlights the higher prevalence of psychological disorders in women.

3. Undertreatment of pain in women

In relation to the referred pain in women that we have mentioned above, there is clinical evidence that women are undertreated compared to men when it comes to pain, especially in situations like heart disease, migraines, or chronic pain. This refers to the biases in the diagnosis of diseases and the minimization of symptoms and infantilization to which women are exposed when they go to a doctor.

4. obstetric violence

Obstetric violence refers to medical practices and behaviors towards women who are pregnant, during childbirth and postpartum. This refers to all behaviors that are violent or are perceived as such, either by action or omission. They include any series of inappropriate or non-consensual acts, the non-administration of anesthetics, the obligation to deliver in certain positions or excessive or unnecessary medicalization. This is considered gender discrimination and a violation of human rights; it is a dehumanizing practice and generates high costs for the victim.

Gender biases in biomedical research

1. COVID vaccine and menstruation

During 2021 and after the passage of months after the administration of the COVID vaccines, the European Medicines Agency put highlighted the existence of disorders and alterations in menstruation after vaccination, occurring in seven out of ten women. This is still under investigation, but many researchers refer to the lack of inclusive research that took into account all the possible repercussions of the COVID-19 vaccine on changes such as women's sex hormones and alterations in the parameters of the coagulation.

2. sibo

A very topical issue, many women begin to raise their voices to talk about SIBO, the existence of abundant bacteria in the small intestine that hinders the absorption of nutrients. Affected women denounce the time it takes to reach a diagnosis and the difficulties in obtaining a complete medical evaluation, highlighting the lack of focused research around this medical condition and highlighting the inclination of medical professionals to attribute gastrointestinal symptoms to problems such as stress or anxiety.

How to solve this social problem?

As we have seen, gender biases in Medicine are real and have a significant impact on diagnosis, treatment and biomedical research. This in the long run can lead to mistrust in health care systems and in the relationship between the doctor and the patient, negatively affecting the quality of the health system and social equality.

To address gender biases in Medicine, education and awareness about gender biases in medical training and clinical practice must be promoted. This involves training health professionals to recognize and overcome their own brains and stereotypes. In addition, initiatives that promote gender equality in research should be promoted, establishing policies and guidelines specifically focused on this problem.

Achieving gender equality and diversity is essential for the future development of our society and this can be reflected in all aspects and areas of life. It is necessary to work towards gender-sensitive health care, which recognizes and addresses biases, promoting quality care for all people, regardless of gender.