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What if we called the care women+ receive from doctors regarding their hormonal health neglect? And what if we labeled the medical institutions that fail to properly educate healthcare providers on conditions like endometriosis or PCOS as neglectful? It’s a heavy word, but it accurately describes what millions of women+ experience when seeking care for their hormonal health.
The Statistics of Neglect
The numbers paint a stark picture. It takes an average of 7-10 years for women+ to receive a diagnosis of endometriosis(TMS-Making-Menopause-Wo…). During this time, they often endure multiple dismissive visits to doctors, hearing phrases like "It's just a bad period" or "You'll grow out of it." But this isn’t just about delayed diagnosis; it’s about the years of unnecessary pain that could have been treated if doctors had listened and responded appropriately.
According to studies, 70% of women with chronic pain report that their symptoms are minimized by healthcare providers(TMS-Making-Menopause-Wo…). When our pain is continuously downplayed or ignored, it’s not just frustrating—it’s damaging. Calling this pattern medical neglect highlights the true gravity of the problem.
It’s Not About Blaming Doctors
This is not a criticism of individual doctors, nor is it true of every healthcare provider. The reality is that most doctors simply aren’t set up for success when it comes to understanding and treating hormonal health issues. They are often undertrained and under-resourced, leaving them ill-equipped to help us. This systemic failure means that both doctors and patients are at a disadvantage.
What we need is for both sides—patients and doctors—to come together and push for change. Improved medical training, better research funding, and a greater focus on women+’s hormonal health will benefit us all.
How System is Failing Us
The issue begins with education. On average, medical students receive only four hours of training on menopause during their entire education(TMS-Making-Menopause-Wo…)(TMS-Making-Menopause-Wo…). Similarly, conditions like PCOS, endometriosis, and menstrual disorders barely get a mention in medical curricula. How are general practitioners expected to recognize or treat these conditions when they have never been trained to understand them?
Instead, doctors often fall back on outdated stereotypes, prescribing painkillers or birth control as a catch-all solution rather than addressing the root cause of the issue. This lack of training isn’t just an oversight—it’s medical neglect, resulting in millions of women+ being left without proper care.
The Same Effects as Neglect
Medical neglect isn’t just about being ignored in a doctor's office. It’s about the long-term consequences of not having our pain recognized or treated. Many women+ who suffer from chronic hormonal conditions, like endometriosis or PCOS, report feelings of being gaslit—questioning their own pain because no one will validate it. Over time, this contributes to a deep mistrust in the healthcare system, often preventing women from seeking help when they need it most.
This neglect doesn’t stop at the doctor’s office; it extends to research institutions and the medical education system. When these institutions fail to prioritize women+’s hormonal health, they’re perpetuating the cycle of poor care. Without research funding or adequate education, how can healthcare professionals effectively treat what they barely understand?
Calling It What It Is
Calling this failure to address women+’s hormonal health neglect brings the issue into sharper focus. We’re not simply talking about misdiagnosis or medical oversight. This is a systemic issue that has left millions of women+ without the care they need for conditions that can seriously impact their lives.
What Needs to Change
Reforming Medical Education: Medical schools must overhaul how they teach women+’s hormonal health. Menopause, menstrual health, and conditions like PCOS should be comprehensive parts of the curriculum, not an afterthought.
Funding Research: We need significantly more research into conditions that affect women+’s hormonal health. It’s not enough to assume that reproductive health is the only aspect worth studying; hormonal health affects every stage of life.
Accountability: Healthcare providers and institutions must be held accountable when they fail to provide adequate care. Doctors should face scrutiny for dismissing patients’ pain, and the institutions that train them should be pushed to improve their programs.
By calling this issue neglect, we bring to light the reality of women+’s healthcare experience. It’s time to demand better care, more comprehensive medical training, and, above all, respect for our hormonal health.
References:
Average time to diagnosis for endometriosis (2023).
Study highlights the 7-10 year delay in diagnosing endometriosis.
Chronic pain minimization statistics (2023).
Study with 2,400 participants shows that 70% of women+ with chronic pain report their symptoms are dismissed or minimized by healthcare providers.
Menopause training in medical education (2023).Report discusses the limited four hours of menopause-related training medical students receive on average.
Healthcare provider training and accountability (2023).Review covers the lack of formal education on conditions like PCOS and endometriosis in medical curricula.
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