Medical research and clinical practice are not as neutral as we might think. Gender bias in medicine has significant consequences for both male and female patients. While healthcare should be based on objective science, studies show that preconceived notions about gender influence how doctors diagnose and treat patients. This bias can result in unequal medical care, missed diagnoses, and ineffective treatments.
In this article, we will explore what gender bias is, how it appears in medical settings, and what can be done to address it.
What Is Gender Bias in Medicine?
Bias means prejudice or distortion in judgment. In medicine, gender bias happens when a person’s gender influences the diagnosis and treatment they receive.
It can appear in three key ways:
- Neglecting One Gender in Research – Many clinical trials historically included only men, leading to a lack of understanding about how diseases and treatments affect women.
- Stereotyping Patients’ Symptoms – Doctors may interpret the same symptoms differently based on whether the patient is male or female.
- Inequality in Treatment – Men and women may receive different treatments for the same condition, even when there is no medical reason for the difference.
Gender bias in medicine is not always intentional. It is often the result of outdated medical knowledge, cultural norms, and unconscious stereotypes.
Sex vs. Gender: Why the Difference Matters
To understand gender bias, we need to separate two important concepts:
- Sex refers to biological differences, such as chromosomes, hormones, and reproductive organs.
- Gender is shaped by society and culture, including expectations about how men and women “should” behave.
These differences matter because diseases, symptoms, and treatment responses can be influenced by both biology and social factors. However, medical research and practice often fail to consider these complexities.
For example, osteoporosis is usually seen as a “women’s disease.” But men can also suffer from osteoporosis, and their symptoms may go unnoticed because doctors don’t expect them to develop the condition.
Examples of Gender Bias in Medical Practice
Research shows that gender bias affects multiple areas of healthcare. Here are a few examples:
1. Heart Disease
- Women with heart disease are less likely to receive diagnostic tests and life-saving treatments like angioplasty or bypass surgery.
- This is partly because women often experience different symptoms than men, such as nausea and fatigue instead of chest pain.
- Many doctors are not trained to recognize these differences, leading to delayed or missed diagnoses.
2. Autoimmune Diseases
- Women make up 75% of all autoimmune disease patients.
- However, women with conditions like lupus or multiple sclerosis are often told their symptoms are “psychological” before they receive a proper diagnosis.
- Men with autoimmune diseases, on the other hand, tend to be diagnosed more quickly because their symptoms are considered “unusual” and investigated more seriously.
3. Pain Management
- Studies show that women’s pain is more likely to be underestimated by doctors.
- Women are more frequently prescribed antidepressants instead of painkillers, while men are given stronger pain medication.
- This reflects the outdated belief that women are “more emotional” and “complain more” about pain.
4. Mental Health
- Women are twice as likely as men to be diagnosed with depression.
- However, men are less likely to receive a depression diagnosis, even when they show clear symptoms.
- This is because depression in men is often misinterpreted as stress, anger, or substance abuse rather than a mental health issue.
5. COVID-19 Diagnosis and Treatment
- Early research on COVID-19 found that women were less likely than men to receive blood tests and chest X-rays.
- This is an example of gender blindness—assuming that diseases affect men and women in the same way without considering biological and social differences.
Why Does Gender Bias Happen?
1. Gender Blindness in Research
- Historically, medical research focused mostly on male patients. Women were often excluded from clinical trials because of concerns about pregnancy and hormonal fluctuations.
- This means that many medications and treatments have been tested primarily on men, even though they are prescribed to women as well.
2. Stereotypes About Men and Women
- Women’s health concerns are sometimes dismissed as “exaggeration” or “stress-related.”
- Men’s health problems may be overlooked because they are expected to be “tough” and “not complain.”
3. Differences in Communication
- Studies suggest that men describe their symptoms more directly, while women often provide more detailed descriptions.
- Because of this, doctors may take men’s complaints more seriously while assuming that women are over-explaining their symptoms.
4. The Role of the Pharmaceutical Industry
- Some diseases, like migraine and thyroid disorders, are marketed as “women’s diseases,” leading to underdiagnosis in men.
- Meanwhile, heart disease is often portrayed as a men’s issue, contributing to misdiagnosis in women.
How Can We Reduce Gender Bias in Medicine?
1. Improve Medical Training
- Medical schools need to teach future doctors about gender differences in disease symptoms, risk factors, and treatment responses.
- This will help eliminate outdated stereotypes and improve diagnosis accuracy.
2. Increase Gender-Inclusive Research
- Clinical trials should include both men and women in equal numbers.
- Researchers must analyze data separately for each gender to identify differences in how diseases develop and how treatments work.
3. Encourage Patients to Advocate for Themselves
- Patients should feel empowered to ask questions, request second opinions, and insist on appropriate tests if they feel their concerns are being dismissed.
- Women, in particular, should be encouraged to challenge doctors who downplay their symptoms.
4. Make Healthcare More Gender-Sensitive
- Hospitals and clinics should review treatment guidelines to ensure they are not based on outdated gender assumptions.
- Doctors should be aware of unconscious biases and make an effort to treat all patients equally.
Conclusion
Gender bias in medicine is a widespread but often overlooked problem. It can lead to delayed diagnoses, inadequate treatment, and worse health outcomes—especially for women.
By improving medical education, conducting more inclusive research, and raising awareness about bias, we can move towards a healthcare system that treats every patient with the care and accuracy they deserve.
Prepared by: Amira Ćerimagić, MD
Source: Hamberg, Katarina. Gender Bias in Medicine. Women’s Health (2008), 4(3), 237-243.
Picture source: Courtesy, Harvard Medical Library in the Francis A. Countway Library of Medicine
