Leaving a medical appointment feeling dismissed can be upsetting for anyone. Especially when symptoms are persistent, painful, and interfering with everyday life. However, spend any time in health-related forums and you'll quickly start hearing from many women who feel they are disproportionately dismissed by medical professionals when reporting symptoms. So, is it true?
The UK Government's Women's Health Strategy consultation received more than 110,000 responses, and 84% of respondents said there had been occasions when they, or a woman they knew, felt they had not been listened to by healthcare professionals. A poll by forum Mumsnet resulted in 68% of women stating they believed the NHS does not take women's health concerns seriously. A Gallup poll in the US in 2026 stated a third of women felt dismissed by doctors. Of course, those figures do not prove every doctor disregards women. The fact each poll found such a varied level of response raises more questions about how the poll was conducted and the questions asked, rather than any indictment of the health service. It needs to be noted that all of these polls asked if the women 'felt' dismissed. There was also very little information from the poll-takers about whether results varied between male and female doctors or if women felt ignore just as equally by both.
However, in 2016 the Brain Tumour Charity released a report. It found almost one in three people had visited a doctor more than five times before receiving their brain tumour diagnosis. Nearly a quarter weren't diagnosed for more than a year. That is certainly a troubling statistic, and the report did indicate women were more likely to need more trips to the doctor and longer waits before getting that diagnosis. So, there is certainly a problem in the healthcase system when it comes to taking people's symptoms more seriously. It also indicates that "feeling unheard" is widespread enough to be a problem on its own.
The National Institute for Health and Care Research identifies several contributing factors to why doctors seem dismissive including time pressure and limited knowledge across a huge number of available conditions.
There is also evidence that the gender of the doctor can affect the style of a consultation. A meta-analysis published in JAMA found that female primary-care doctors, on average, spent about two minutes longer with patients and used more partnership-building, psychosocial, and emotionally focused communication. However, the evidence is not a simple verdict that male doctors do not listen. Results varied between specialties, and the behaviour of eacy individual clinician matters more than gender alone. Women can still feel dismissed by many female doctors too, particularly where the clinician is rushed, unfamiliar with the condition, or makes assumptions about the cause. That happens regularly no matter what gender the caregiver.
"I do not wish women to have power over men; but over themselves." - Mary Wollstonecraft
Some of the problem may arise because symptoms are often difficult to describe in a short appointment. Pain, fatigue, brain fog, dizziness, and hormonal changes can fluctuate, overlap or be affected by several conditions. A patient who says, "I am probably just being dramatic," may unintentionally minimise the seriousness of what she is reporting. That does not make her responsible for being dismissed, but clearer information and not playing down your own symptoms can make clinical assessment easier. Your family and friends may push you for more details when you're being reserved, but if you say "it's probably nothing" to your doctor ... they may not be as inclined to pry.
Before an appointment and while you're feeling the symptoms, write down when they started, how often they occur, what makes them worse, and how they affect work, sleep, relationships or normal activities. Use measurable examples where possible. Instead of saying, "I am always tired," try, "I have been sleeping eight hours, but for the last six weeks I have been struggling to stay awake in the afternoon and have stopped exercising because of exhaustion." Having these details clearly laid out in your mind can make a massive difference in what your doctor is able to deduce.
It can also help to avoid statements that dismiss your own concerns:
- "Sorry to waste your time" can become "I would like help assessing a problem that is affecting my daily life."
- "It is probably nothing" can become "I am concerned because this is new, persistent or getting worse."
- "It is just stress" can become "Stress may be contributing, but these symptoms continue even when I am calmer."
- "I might be overreacting" can become "I am not certain what is causing this, but the change is significant to me."
Further reading: the JAMA review of physician gender and medical communication examines differences in consultation styles, while the NIHR evidence collection explores why women can feel unheard and how communication may be improved.
Please note: our help articles are not a substitute for professional advice. We provide general information to boost knowledge prior to speaking to a qualified provider and links to useful resources. Articles in this section are by our team, but we do include submitted guest posts in other marked ares.