'Medical misogyny' blamed for dismissal of health conditions in women and girls

Many women are forced to wait years for a diagnosis, leaving them to seek private health care

Women and girls are being left to "suck it up" and endure pain for years due to a lack of awareness surrounding painful reproductive conditions, according to a new report.

Conditions are frequently dismissed due to "medical misogyny", "pervasive stigma" and a lack of education surrounding common conditions, including endometriosis, heavy periods and adenomyosis, according to the Women and Equalities Committee of MPs.

The committee set out to examine the experiences of care that women with reproductive conditions get in England.

Committee chairwoman Sarah Owen said: "Our inquiry has shown misogyny in medicine is leaving women in pain and their conditions undiagnosed."

The committee found that symptoms are often “normalised” and it can take years for women to get a diagnosis and to get care.

TV presenter Naga Munchetty, who previously shared her traumatic experience of having a coil fitted and has been vocal about the poor care she received for adenomyosis, gave evidence to the committee alongside former Geordie Shore star Vicky Pattison, who has pre-menstrual dysphoric disorder.

In November, ITV News' Chloe Keedy reported on new figures which revealed the "devastating" state of waiting lists for gynecology appointments.

India Weir, 27, from near Edinburgh, has been suffering from "chronic pelvic pain" since 2017. She told ITV News how it affects her day-to-day life.

"I've been living with chronic pelvic pain and significant symptoms associated with endometriosis since 2017 and have been on and off gynaecology waiting lists throughout this time," she said.

"I’m currently waiting for surgery to manage my deep infiltrating endometriosis and ovarian cysts."

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Women are left to endure pain and discomfort that “interferes with every aspect of their daily lives”, including their education, careers, relationships and fertility.

As a result, many women are seeking private care.

The MPs also criticised the menstrual health element of relationships, sex and health education, saying it is “insufficient and inconsistent”, and often delivered too late to be of use.

GP surgeries have been singled out in the report, with the authors highlighting a “clear lack of awareness and understanding of women’s reproductive health conditions among primary healthcare practitioners”, particularly when those conditions occur in young women and girls.

An NHS England spokesperson said: "Too often in the NHS we hear of women whose health concerns have been dismissed, which is why we are taking action to improve services for women, including rolling out women’s health hubs across the country."

The authors made a series of recommendations for the health service and government to improve care.

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