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<\/p>\nWOMEN are waiting longer than men for pain to be diagnosed \u2013 with less than half receiving a diagnosis within 11 months.<\/p>\n
In contrast, 66 per cent of men received a diagnosis for their pain in the same timeframe.<\/p>\n
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Additionally, more women than men (14 per cent vs nine per cent) still do not have a diagnosis for their pain after 12 months or longer, the study of more than 5,000 UK adults has shown.<\/p>\n
Three in 10 of these women worryingly feel it took so long to get an answer because the healthcare professional did not take the pain seriously or even dismissed it.<\/p>\n
But just 18 per cent of men share these concerns.<\/p>\n
The research was commissioned by Nurofen to mark the launch of its PAIN PASS tool which helps people talk about their pain with confidence with a healthcare professional.<\/p>\n
Chloe Elliot, who waited nine years to get a diagnosis for endometriosis, said: \u201cI believe if I'd have said how I was feeling to my doctor, but I was a different gender, things would have been taken a lot more seriously.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s why I want to urge other women to keep fighting – remember you're not crazy, you're not insane, your pain is real.<\/p>\n \u201cYou know your body better than anybody else. Keep fighting. Push for a diagnosis when you know something isn\u2019t right.\u201d<\/p>\n It also emerged 45 per cent of women who feel uncomfortable talking about their pain are worried they will be judged as a moaner,\u202fcompared to just 35 per cent of men.<\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n So, it\u2019s not surprising 23 per cent of women haven't even tried to seek a diagnosis for the pain they experience, compared to just 13 per cent of men.<\/p>\n The research also shows the \u2018gender pain gap\u2019 has widened a year on since the pain relief brand\u2019s first Gender Pain Gap Index Report, which highlights that more needs to be done to tackle unconscious gender bias in healthcare.<\/p>\n Last year\u2019s data showed 56 per cent of women felt their pain was ignored or dismissed compared to 49 per cent of men \u2013 a gap of seven per cent.<\/p>\n While the number of women who feel this way has dropped to 49 per cent this year, just 38 per cent of men feel this way, widening the gap to 11 per cent.<\/p>\n Dr Marieke Bigg, sociologist and author of This Won\u2019t Hurt: How Medicine Fails Women, said: \u201cIt\u2019s concerning to see that the gender pain gap has increased.<\/p>\n \u201cWhether this means women are becoming more vocal about the problems they face, or whether medical sexism has intensified, we need to respond to this evidence and make changes to healthcare provision.<\/p>\n \u201cUnfortunately, women\u2019s pain is often dismissed. Healthcare professionals continually misattribute women\u2019s symptoms to stress or \u2018hormones\u2019, while men are more likely to be sent for a physical check \u2013 even when complaining of the same type of pain.<\/p>\n \u201cOver time, this has led to women\u2019s pain being overlooked, resulting in a gender pain gap.<\/p>\n \u201cWomen are waiting longer to get a diagnosis for their pain, and do not feel empowered to push for the support they need \u2013 this is unacceptable.<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/www.thesun.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/newspress-collage-24553554-1698446569306.jpg\")
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