67% of women on our panel have been told their pain was psychological, exaggerated or stress-related by a healthcare provider.
In 2001, a landmark paper documented what many women had known for years: that women's pain is assessed and treated differently from men's, resulting in worse outcomes, longer waits, and higher rates of dismissal. More than two decades later, the Sibyl + Sage panel data suggests the picture has not changed nearly enough.
We surveyed 5,100 women about their experiences of pain management in healthcare settings. What we found was consistent across age, geography, income, and educational background.
67% told their pain was psychological, exaggerated, or stress-related
58% waited longer for pain medication than they expected based on their assessed severity
44% left a medical appointment with their pain unaddressed after feeling dismissed
71% said they had learned to downplay or pre-justify their pain before appointments
"I have a system now. I dress professionally. I bring notes. I stay calm no matter how much I'm hurting. If I cry, they stop taking me seriously. This is not how pain management should work. -Panel member, 39, Illinois"
The preparation tax
One of the most striking findings in our panel is what we call the 'preparation tax'; the additional cognitive and emotional labour women invest before medical appointments to ensure their pain is taken seriously. This is a tax that men are not widely reported to pay. And it falls heaviest on women already depleted by chronic pain.
The racial dimension
The data is significantly worse for Black women. Among Black women on our panel, 79% reported having their pain dismissed; compared to 61% of white women. This reflects the persistence of a dangerous false belief that Black patients have higher pain tolerance, leading to systematic undertreatment.
What needs to change
● Medical training must include the documented evidence base on gender bias in pain assessment.
● Women should not need to perform composure to receive adequate pain treatment.
● Pain scores reported by patients should be taken at face value, not filtered through demographic assumptions.
This article draws on research from the Sibyl + Sage Women's Empowerment Panel; which is a community of over 24,000 women across 22 different countries; sharing their experiences in their own words. To learn more about how we can amplify the voice of women in your research, contact us at voices@sibyl-and-sage.com.