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Historically, women have experienced severe disparities in their healthcare, where pain is often misunderstood and dismissed. The ‘gender pain gap’ remains notably problematic in the UK according to annual reports.
Nurofen’s third-annual Gender Pain Gap Index report has revealed that 81% of UK women aged 18-24 have had their pain dismissed or ignored.
The independent review surveyed over 5,000 women and men in the UK to analyse attitudes and experiences toward pain and its treatment. The review authors found that women’s pain was ‘being dismissed at different stages of their life.’
The findings showed that girls as young as 10 years old are experiencing medical dismissal, with the most notable concern being the trivialisation of period pain at school.
Alongside education, the pain gap continues to follow women in their workplace, with one in five stating that it has held them back from advancing in their career.
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The report also highlighted how 42% of women going through menopause had associated pain symptoms dismissed, ‘while one in six had to wait more than
a year to have menopause-related pain diagnosed.’
Among the women surveyed, many spoke about the impact this has had on their mental health. Over a quarter said they had begun to question if their pain was serious or even real.
Too often, medical dismissal leads to cases of unconscious medical gaslighting and the continued perception of women as ‘hysterical’ or overdramatizing their symptoms.
These systemic disparities are being experienced by girls from vital stages of education, right through to the workforce, and older adulthood. It can be detrimental to their wellbeing, leaving them without vital support and treatment options when they need it most.
Speaking about where we go from here, Dr. Angela Naef, Chief Research and Development Officer at Reckitt (Nurofen’s parent company), said, ‘Understanding the situation has always been the first step. Clearly, we are still a long way from achieving a level playing field when it comes to women’s experiences of pain treatment.’
‘We know we’re talking about a wide systemic issue, one that needs continued measurement, dedicated research, and new approaches to education that consider women’s health,’ she explained.
In the UK, women face the biggest ‘health gap in the G20 and the 12th largest globally.’
Investing in women’s health would not just lead to improved health outcomes, however, but also create substantial economic growth, boosting the economy.
Women and girls deserve to live pain-free and healthy lives. While effective changes to the UK’s healthcare system cannot be implemented overnight, we can still move forward with compassion — by choosing to listen to women and see their pain.
