Sexism in Healthcare
The feminine fight for equality in all facets of life has been an ongoing battle for centuries. On a daily basis, women are subjected to the blatant discrimination of many. The concept of sexism is a theme that is heavily present. According to Merriam-Webster, sexism is described as prejudice or discrimination based on sex; especially, discrimination against women (Merriam-Webster, 2018). It is also described as a behavior, conditions, or attitudes that foster stereotypes of social roles based on sex (Merriam-Webster, 2018). The concept of sexism and how it can be heavily present throughout various industries such as Entertainment is the reason there are so many women’s organizational groups that continue to fight to be heard.
When a person visits their local physician, many will find that they are met with female faces. This is due to the fact that 80% of the professionals within the medical field are typically women. However, the battles within the field of healthcare reach far beyond the threshold of how many female professionals exist (Women Like Us Foundation, 2018). Sexism within the healthcare industry deals with the way in which female patients are treated, as well as how women are lobbied for when it comes to healthcare legislations (Women Like Us Foundation, 2018). Its true that women aren’t treated very well (Women Like Us Foundation, 2018).
The national organization called Women Like Us Foundation is in tune with the fact that medical personnel have been found to take women’s suffering less seriously than that of men (Women Like Us Foundation, 2018). The belief is that they spend far lesser time treating women and physical pain is often attributed to emotional causes (Women Like Us Foundation, 2018). The root of this issue is believed to stem from misogynistic stereotypes that have become staples in the field of medicine (Women Like Us Foundation, 2018). The fact is that people tend to view women as emotional and melodramatic while men are seen as authoritative and sincere (Women Like Us Foundation, 2018). This essay will be an exploration of the origins and prevalence of sexism within healthcare (Women Like Us Foundation, 2018).
Historical Context
Women’s healthcare has a very complex history. The fight for equality within healthcare has been locked in on feminist who are aware of the gender based disparities. Sexist narratives originate from first‐wave feminism's search for models of female medical practice, an agenda that paid little attention to historical context. This search failed to recognize sexism as a very present staple within the medical field (Geltner, 2012). The second‐wave of feminism, identified a rift between pre‐modern and modern times in terms of women's medical practices (Geltner, 2012). Ideally, this exploration of sexism in healthcare saw the pre‐modern European female healer as one that was advanced and knowledgeable of empiricist (Geltner, 2012). They were also found to be uniquely responsible for women's healthcare and (particularly because of her knowledge of mechanisms to limit fertility) a victim of male persecution (Geltner, 2012).
The prevalence of sexism in healthcare is an International issue that can be found very prevalent in studies regarding women’s health (Schopen, 2017). According to Diane Hoffman and Anita Tarzian, two scholars from the University of Maryland, their analysis of gender bias and how it plays out in clinical pain management discussed how women are more likely to be given sedatives for their pain. On the other hand, men are given pain medication (Schopen, 2017). Their studies also concluded that women were more likely to be inadequately treated by healthcare providers (Schopen, 2017). This is a huge issue seeing as women deal with a multitude of ailments that warrant careful consideration and designated treatments that will ensure that heath issues are resolved (Schopen, 2017). The reason behind the lack of interest in women, within health care, there have been multiple authors that attribute these issues of sexism within healthcare to “a long history within our culture of regarding women’s reasoning capacity as limited (Schopen, 2017)”.
Sexism within healthcare is important to look at, because it affects how female patients are treated (Chen, 2008). Studies on emergency room themes found that on average women have to wait 16 minutes longer than men in emergency rooms to receive pain medication (Women Like Us Foundation, 2018). It was also found that women experiencing acute pain were up to 25% less likely to receive opioids (Women Like Us Foundation, 2018).
Research, funded by the American Heart Association and the National Institutes of Health, reaffirms that women ultimately get the short end of the stick (Schopen, 2017). It was found that only 39% of women who have a cardiac arrest in a public place were given CPR, versus 45% of men (Schopen, 2017). Men were 23% more likely to survive and one of the study leaders, Benjamin Abella, speculated that rescuers may worry about moving a woman’s clothing, or touching her breasts (Schopen, 2017). One idea mooted was more realistic-looking practice mannequins to account for the female torso (Schopen, 2017).
Patient Preference
The exploration of sexism within healthcare finds that men are treated much better than women when it comes to seeking treatment, especially in relation to abdominal pain (Chen, 2008). A study was conducted where an annual census of approximately 55,000 patient visits were analyzed in an effort to figure out whether male or female patients were treated better (Chen, 2008). Patients aged 18 years or older with nontraumatic abdominal pain of 72 hours’ duration or less were enrolled from April 5, 2004, to January 4, 2005 (Chen, 2008). The women included within this study were void of conditions such as pregnancy, abdominal trauma, or abdominal surgery within the prior 7 days or inability to provide informed consent (Chen, 2008). The final consensus of this study was that gender bias could be attributed to a component of oligoanalgesia in the treatment of acute abdominal pain (Chen, 2008). Regardless of having similar pain scores, women were found to be less likely to receive analgesic treatment than men, particularly opiates, and wait longer for their medications (Chen, 2008). Standardized protocols for analgesic administration may ameliorate this discrepancy (Chen, 2008). This disconnect in ensuring women are treated properly is a huge issue (Chen, 2008).
Conclusion
This exploration of sexism in health care discusses how women and their needs are often brushed off due to the preconceived notion that any ailments or pain are a matter of their melodramatic emotions. Studies have been found to show that women that visit emergency rooms in an effort to eradicate their problems are either misdiagnosed or given something that does little to fix the problem. The idea that women may be over-exaggerating any ailments subjects them to the possibilities of receiving limited treatment that may inhibit resolution. This is a huge problem considering the fact that women’s healthcare is important.