In 1977, the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) explicitly advised medical trials to exclude women of any age if they had “childbearing potential” (1). Until 1993, male bodies were considered the “norm,” and female bodies were deemed atypical in the medical industry (2). These are both examples of medical misogyny. Medical misogyny is not simply a few missing female doctors or a case of mass female hysteria; it is a measurable form of oppression that quite literally kills. To understand this deadly ignorance of the female body, one must understand the history of medical misogyny, the current laws and policies in medicine, and its consequences that affect every woman alive today.
The History
To understand the history of medical misogyny, it is necessary to understand that for the majority of medical history, females were believed to be deformed, smaller males (3). This idea was considered common and unquestioned knowledge for thousands of years. This context is crucial to understanding why women have been excluded from medicine for so long. Why would a study include women if it costs more to house the male and female mice? Why would a study include women if their pesky hormones affected the otherwise “clean” data?
Another historical theory that has had a significant impact on modern medicine came from the Greek philosopher Plato. Plato claimed, without any proof or medical trial, that women’s wombs were in constant motion within their bodies, and this was the cause of female mental and physical disturbances. This unquestionable theory came to be known as female hysteria, which derived from the Greek word ὑστέρᾱ, which translates to the uterus. It justified keeping women out of intellectual spaces such as medicine. The claim was also the cause for countless women throughout history being subjected to physical and psychological torture when they dared to step out of line. All of this in the name of medicine and logic.
Still Failing Us
So, what has changed? As mentioned above, in 1993, the NIH Revitalization Act (4) was passed, which required medical trials to include women and racial minorities. Note that this only applies to medical trials that are funded by the NIH (National Institute of Health), and this does not apply to industry or private medical research. Additionally, there is no requirement for how many women have to be included.
It is important to remember that this act was passed around thirty years ago and that the vast majority of foundational knowledge of modern medicine, which is still used today, came far before this law. Of course, this fact raises questions about how much of our fundamental understanding of medicine only applies to men.
When considering modern medical misogyny, it is also notable to mention that women are routinely and severely underrepresented. They are underrepresented in medical trials due to the lack of policies requiring women and the lack of enforcement for the laws that do exist. This lack of representation is also evident in the shortage of female health professionals. Outside of pediatrics and family medicine, women make up only 30.2% of doctors (5). Women hold 25% of board seats in healthcare companies (6). Women only make up around 28% of hospital and health-system boards (7).
With the scarcity of laws protecting women in health and the lack of women in positions of power, it is clear that modern medicine continues to fail women just as it has in the past.
Lethal Ignorance
This history is not behind us, and these laws are not protecting us. Women and racial minorities are 30% more likely to be misdiagnosed compared to their white male counterparts (8), and 93% of women have reported feeling dismissed when attempting to seek medical treatment (9). Nearly one thousand women in the wealthiest country in the world die during childbirth each year (10).
In their 2001 study “The Girl Who Cried Pain”, University of Maryland scholars Diane Hoffman and Anita Tarzian found that, “…female chronic-pain patients were more likely to be diagnosed with histrionic disorder (excessive emotionality and attention-seeking behavior) compared to male chronic-pain patients.” and that “…when it comes to receiving adequate treatment, proper medications, and even timely and correct diagnoses of illness, studies suggest that women frequently get treated differently—often worse—than men.” (11).
These studies are not just jarring statistics; they are real people who are suffering and dying solely because of their sex. How many women die every year due to ignorance? How many more lives will misogyny claim before some action is taken?
This is an uncomfortable situation that needs to be addressed. Historically, medicine has failed women, but it does not have to continue to do so. These numbers and deaths are not unfortunate facts of life; they are very changeable. With the right policies, equal representation, and proper conduct of research, these deadly mistakes can be corrected, and women can receive the care they deserve.
Citations
- National Institutes of Health. “NIH Policies on Inclusion.”
Office of Research on Women’s Health, https://orwh.od.nih.gov/toolkit/nih-policies-inclusion. - University of Utah Health. “Why We Know So Little About Women’s Health.”
University of Utah Health, 2020, https://healthcare.utah.edu/the-scope/womens-7. - “Sex Determination – Developmental Biology.”
NCBI Bookshelf, National Center for Biotechnology Information, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK9985. - “S.1 – National Institutes of Health Revitalization Act of 1993.”
103rd Congress, 1993-1994, https://www.congress.gov/bill/103rd-congress/senate-bill/1. - Statista. “Share of Female Doctors by Specialties U.S. 2023.”
https://www.statista.com/statistics/1105355/female-doctors-share-specialties-usa. - Gonzalez, Georgina. “In Healthcare, Women Hold 25% of Board Seats: 5 Findings to Know for 2021.”
Becker’s Hospital Review, 8 Oct. 2021, https://www.beckershospitalreview.com/hospital-management-administration/in-healthcare-women-hold-25-of-board-seats-5-findings-to-know-for-2021. - Jeffries, Jane. “Women Underrepresented in Hospital and Health System Boards.”
American Hospital Association, 2021, https://trustees.aha.org/articles/881-women-underrepresented-in-hospital-and-health-system-boards. - “Medical Mistakes Are More Likely in Women and Minorities.”
PubMed Central, National Institutes of Health, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34387620. - “She’s Not Imagining It: The Continuing Medical Dismissal of Women.”
Psychology Today, 27 July 2025, https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/its-not-just-in-your-head/202507/shes-not-imagining-it-the-continuing-medical-dismissal-of. - Hoyert, Donna L. “Maternal Mortality Rates in the United States, 2022.”
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2024, https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/hestat/maternal-mortality/2022/maternal-mortality-rates-2022.htm. - 11. “The Impact of Medical Malpractice on Women.” Best Lawyers, 12 June 2020, https://www.bestlawyers.com/article/medical-malpractice-effect-on-women/3010.
