#Medicine Misogyny

[mikasasrippedtoenail]

The fact that most women are taking wrong dosage of medicine because they were tested upon men only which is causing long term side effects is proof the world is male centered.

[redditreceipts]

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and, probably the most interesting thing I have read so far about uteruses:

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"the uterus is only for making babies and if I don't want to have babies I actually don't need it and they can just cut it out" is really just medical misogyny but you aren't ready for that conversation

[tomlivingspace]

misogyny was still rampant in the first series but its interesting how much it was also a part of the plot. bluestar had to give up her kits in order to be deputy because a nursing mother wouldn't have been fit to be leader. yellowfang is blamed by starclan for being brokenstar's mother despite him never even knowing she was. it's just interesting how much the tragedy of how misogyny manifests within the clans in the first series is present and just kind of goes away. there's still misogyny but most of it isn't an intentional flaw of clan culture. the flaws of clan culture are focused more on forbidden romance romance crap

[radicalfacts]

radical facts - short feminist facts

#medical misogyny

Misdiagnosed & Mistreated - Misogyny & Androcentrism in Medicine

Although it is a well established scientific fact that the female body acts and reacts medically often very different than the male body, these differences get widely ignored. This widespread misogyny and androcentrism in medicine frequently gets women misdiagnosed and mistreated, which often proves deadly.

Studies found that females presenting with a heart attack were more likely to die when a male doctor treated them, compared with a female doctor.

Women are also 50% more likely to get their heart attack misdiagnosed - for their (typical to females) symptoms get seen as atypical and often dismissed; based upon only male symptoms getting seen as typical and indicative.

Female patients are also less likely to be prescribed preventative treatment after an initial attack.

Women are half as likely as men to receive pain killers after surgery.

When getting surgery, women have a 32% higher risk of dying - when operated on by a male surgeon.

They also have to wait longer to receive pain management medication in emergency rooms as well as often simply getting sedated instead of recieving pain management. No such effect is seen in male patients.

Female patients generally have to wait for significantly longer timespans to get a diagnosis. Per example, it takes typically 2.5 more years for a woman to be diagnosed with cancer and 4.5 more years for a diabetes diagnosis compared with men. In total, women were found to get diagnosed much later in more than 700 diseases compared to men.

[m0thmancore]

"if you hear hoofbeats think horses not zebras"

if you hear hoofbeats stick your head into the fucking hall and find out what animal it is immediately instead of assuming it's a horse and calling an equestrian who immediately gets kicked in the guts because zebras are untamable bitches

sincerely a very annoyed disabled person

[obessivedork]

Maccready is YET ANOTHER sadman deadwife™????!!!!!! asdfghjkl That's what? FOUR major characters in one game if you play Male Sole Survivor??? What did women DO to Bethesda's writers????

[someone-will-remember-us]

Women are dying of cancer because of sexism in healthcare, a report in The Lancet has suggested. The analysis says that “unconscious gender bias” and discrimination means that women are too often receiving “sub-optimal care”, with major cancers being missed. Researchers said that a focus on reproductive and maternal health, and on “women’s cancers” – such as breast and cervical cancer – too often meant prevention and treatment of other types of cancer was neglected. Two thirds of deaths from cancer in patients below the age of 50 are those of women, researchers said, with many dying “in the prime of their life”. The Lancet commission, called Women, Power and Cancer, calls for a “feminist” approach to medicine, saying that 1.5 million lives a year could be saved by better detection, diagnosis and elimination of risk factors. A study published alongside the piece found that 24,000 women between 30 and 69 die every year from cancers that could be avoided. Six in 10 could be prevented by earlier diagnosis or improved lifestyles, while four in 10 could be avoided by better access to good treatment. The commission brought together scholars of gender studies, human rights, law, economics, social sciences, cancer epidemiology, prevention and treatment, as well as patient advocates. Too little focus on risk factors Dr Isabelle Soerjomataram, from the International Agency for Research on Cancer, said: “Discussion about cancer in women often focus on ‘women’s cancers’, such as breast and cervical cancer, but about 300,000 women under 70 die each year from lung cancer, and 160,000 from colorectal cancer – two of the top three causes of cancer death among women, globally. Furthermore, for the past few decades in many high-income countries, deaths from lung cancer in women have been higher than deaths from breast cancer.” She added that there was a need for policies to increase awareness of such risks. The report said that too little focus was given to alerting women to the risk factors for cancer. It cited a study that found only 19 per cent of women who attended a breast cancer screening knew that alcohol was a major risk factor. Researchers also said that women were often served worse than men, even after diagnosis. The authors said: “Sexism within healthcare systems in the form of unconscious gender biases and discrimination can lead to women receiving sub-optimal care. For example, multiple studies have found women with cancer are more likely to report inadequate pain relief and be at greater risk for undertreatment of pain compared to men.” Dr Ophira Ginsburg, the senior adviser for clinical research at the National Cancer Institute’s Centre for Global Health and co-chair of the commission, said: “The impact of a patriarchal society on women’s experiences of cancer has gone largely unrecognised. Globally, women’s health is often focused on reproductive and maternal health, aligned with narrow anti-feminist definitions of women’s value and roles in society, while cancer remains wholly under-represented.” She added: “Our commission highlights that gender inequalities significantly impact women’s experiences with cancer. “To address this, we need cancer to be seen as a priority issue in women’s health, and call for the immediate introduction of a feminist approach to cancer.”

(archive)

[princessbubblegumandjustice]

Florida GOP Bill Would Let Doctors Deny Health Care to Anyone if They Just Felt Like It

Florida’s House of Representatives will vote next week on a bill that would allow doctors and health insurance companies to deny care to anyone they want.

According to the bill, “a health care provider or health payor has the right to opt out of participation in or payment for any health care service on the basis of a conscience-based objection,” meaning based on their moral, ethical, or religious beliefs.

Providers and insurers would face no consequences under the measure and would not be required to refer patients to a place that would provide the needed care. If they are penalized for denying care or coverage, the doctor or company can sue. …

Kara Gross, the legislative director and senior policy counsel for the ACLU of Florida, slammed the state legislature for government overreach, pointing out that the bill does not set a standard for potential objections.

“There is no definition of ‘moral’ or ‘ethical’ in the bill. Who determines what constitutes a sincerely held moral or ethical belief, and more importantly, why should access to health care be denied based on such vague, imprecise, and subjective terms?” Gross said in a statement Wednesday. She cited examples that could lead to people denying care, such as believing people should not have children before marriage.

“Medical standards, not individual, subjective beliefs, should guide medical and health care services.”

They “won’t kill you” but they’ll sure as hell make sure your medical care is either outright illegal or allow doctors to deny you care based on prejudice. :)

This is a hostile act disguised as freedom.

[aibidil]

A lot of people like to talk big shit about how self-diagnosis and self-treatment of medical problems using internet research is the height of narcissistic internet absurdity and an example of millennial and gen z women letting the internet rot our brains

Meanwhile

A friend of mine with a dad, brother, and two kids formally diagnosed with ADHD and a lifetime of symptoms finally went to get a diagnosis for herself and was told that her problems were due to being unhappy in her marriage, not ADHD

A friend of mine in an excruciating flare of chronic pain including recovery from a vulva biopsy was asked by a doctor if she'd tried yoga

A doctor once told me that I should go ahead with a radiation treatment that wasn't indicated for young women because "well, it'll probably make you infertile, yeah, but you'll have enough money to do IVF in like ten years so that's ok"

Doctors routinely prescribe antibiotics to breastfeeding moms who have thrush even though antibiotics make fungal infections worse

Every new doctor I tell I have EDS asks me to do the hypermobility party tricks because they want to see them, even though they should know that doing those movements isn't good for my body

Doctors refuse to advise parents to give their constipated kids enemas, one going so far as to tell me that it would give my kid psychological issues, blatantly allowing a homophobic fear of penetration to stand in the way of proper medical care for kids who don't respond to miralax

An old man obgyn once told me, when I informed him that I was going off the pill, that he was sure he would see me soon, because I would change my mind because "women are happier on the pill."

Girls with autism and adhd are completely underdiagnosed and parents' concerns dismissed because the girls are too smart or too good at masking

I have friends whose doctors will refuse to even discuss treating infertility until they lose a certain number of pounds, quite literally refusing medical care on the basis of weight

Sure, there's a lot of misinformation on the internet, and you need to be careful and sift through it all. And at some point you'll need the input of doctors and tests to confirm your hunches, etc. (Which you may only have access to if you have $.) But how can you honestly look at this situation and NOT think the only solution is for us to research everything ourselves? To diagnose ourselves? To figure out what the best-practice treatment is so that you can question suggestions? When misogyny is so rampant in a Healthcare system, how can women ever make sure we're cared for properly? And if you're also poor, or uneducated, or fat, or bipoc, or trans, or a non-native-English speaker?!?! FORGET IT

I'll be over here in my internet groups where women put in countless hours compiling medical research with citations and sharing health conditions and treatments and experiences. Because the village witches have always been the ones to figure this shit out and also the ones to get blamed whenever something goes wrong—only now the village witches are compiling 100-page detailed guides on Facebook groups on how to combat iron deficiency, while the doctors refuse to even test our ferritin levels. I'll brave the medical offices when I need to, armed with my advance research to combat the bullshit I will inevitably encounter as I try to access to care I need

[tittedntatted]

Luisa Teish

[strongintherealgay]

In case you did not know, approximately 1 in 10 people with a uterus have polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). Some studies have even shown the potential of 1 in 5 people with a uterus having PCOS. If you have irregular periods please go ask for testing.

Most people think PCOS just means you don't have a normal period, and that you might be sweatier, hairier, and fatter due to higher levels of testosterone. Well it also gives you a higher predisposition for uterine cancer and diabetes. If this is the first you've heard of this then I doubt you're alone.

Of course society thinks the worst thing for a person with a uterus is to not be dainty and hairless with the ability to pop out kids whenever we want, but they ignore the fact PCOS can lead to potentially fatal conditions. There are ways to prevent them, though, which is why it is so important to look into treatment options for PCOS with your doctor/obgyn.

I was told this information three months ago despite being diagnosed for seven years and my family having a history of reproductive disorders. Please get checked out if there is even a slight possibility of you having PCOS or another reproductive disorder. It affects so much more than your period or fertility. A diagnosis might just save your life.

[radicalfeministnews]

Nature Podcast:

Menopause and women’s health: why science needs to catch up

A focus on women’s health research, and the star caught in the act of devouring a planet.

"Kerri Smith and Heidi Ledford join us to discuss two Features published in Nature looking at topics surrounding women’s health. The first looks at efforts to understand how menopause affects brain health, while the second shows how less research funding is allocated for conditions affecting women more than men.

Feature: How menopause reshapes the brain

Feature: Women’s health research lacks funding – these charts show how "

Luckily "for the sake of this conversation" they stick with "women" even though "it's an imperfect term" (it isn't except in a cultural beliefs context) (does science also use special terms and ideas that cater to religious claims like creationism instead of evolution? It shouldn't. Same for this.)

Good information.

@warriordykes (of radfemzine, for the medical sexism topic)

@radfeminist-suggestions

@radfemcoalition

[spacedocmom]

Doctor Beverly Crusher @SpaceDocMom Your era's gender discrimination in medicine is utterly appalling. So much misogyny, misogynoir, and transphobia! I'm constantly shocked when I read history of what you folks are going through right now. I'm so, so, so very sorry and I wish I could make it better for you. emojis: black heart, blue heart, masked 5:24 PM · Jul 4, 2023

[redheddebeauty]

I think this is an interesting article, and haven’t read the study so maybe it discusses it there, but I always feel likes pieces like these fall short when it comes to discussing how the medicalization of childbirth, and women’s treatment by health care providers contributes to these fears, and women’s general lack of education around their own bodies, health, and reproductive health, including pregnancy, contributes to these fears, and how some if not many of those fears are not unfounded. This article does mention how women who are further marginalized by their race are more likely to be afraid of pregnancy, but does not go into detail about how they’re more likely to have their concerns ignored by healthcare providers (Serena Williams, anyone?), which I think would (rightfully) contribute to their fears surrounding pregnancy and childbirth.

[ammg-old2]

The city of Roanoke, Virginia, will erect a bronze statue of Henrietta Lacks in a plaza where a monument to the Confederate general Robert E. Lee once stood.

Born in Roanoke in 1920, Lacks was a Black woman whose cancer cells were taken without her permission and used for groundbreaking medical research. Last month, early sketches for the new statue were revealed at an announcement ceremony.

“This historical moment, occasion, has been a long time coming,” Lacks’ grandson, Ron Lacks, said at the event, per the Guardian’s Ramon Antonio Vargas. The new statue, he added, is “an honor.”

A man toppled the Lee monument in 2020, in the midst of the racial justice protests following the murder of George Floyd, per the Roanoke Times’ Jeff Sturgeon. The city council later decided to rename the area, once called Lee Plaza, in honor of Lacks.

In 1951, Lacks received treatment for cervical cancer at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Maryland, the only hospital in the area treating Black patients at the time. During treatment, her doctor collected tissue samples from her tumor without her consent, sending them to a lab for further study. The cancer proved to be terminal, and Lacks passed away later that year at age 31. But her cells—nicknamed “HeLa cells,” an abbreviation of her first and last name—lived on.

Lacks’ cells were special: While other cell samples would die in the lab, HeLa cells would double roughly every 24 hours. Now a cornerstone in medical science, they have been used for decades in critical medical research on the human genome, viruses, cancer treatments and more. They have been instrumental in developing vaccines, including those used for polio and Covid-19, per Johns Hopkins.

But Lacks never had the opportunity to consent to being a part of these breakthroughs. In late 2021, her family sued a biotechnology company for profiting by producing and selling her cells.

“When you consider issues of genetic justice, reproductive rights, and stem cell research, there are a lot of historical figures who we like to suggest that their contributions changed the world,” the Lacks’ lawyer, Ben Crump, said last month at the new statue’s announcement, per ABC News’ Kendall Ross. “Well, in the case of Henrietta Lacks, we have objective evidence … Henrietta Lacks’ immortal cells literally changed the world.”

Artist Bryce Cobbs and sculptor Larry Bechtel were commissioned to work on the project; Cobbs worked with the family to draw a preliminary design capturing Lacks’ likeness, and Bechtel will use it as a reference when casting the bronze statue. Roanoke Hidden Histories, a public history project that spotlights Black stories, is funding the initiative.

“The fact that I’m involved in this project means the world,” Cobbs said last month, per ABC News. “I’m humbled to be a part of history in this way and just to be trusted with the task of making sure that I just captured Mrs. Henrietta Lacks the best way I could.”

Cobbs revealed the preliminary, almost life-sized sketch at the announcement ceremony: In it, Lacks stands tall, arms crossed, chin in the air, wearing a smart blazer and a confident smile.

“Seeing a Black woman in this prominent stance, permanently immortalized in this sculpture … has inspired a lot of people in the community, honestly,” Cobbs tells NPR’s Steve Inskeep. “So I really wanted to have a distinguished, powerful pose.”

[separatismus]

Women are far less likely than men to fit the textbook model of heart disease—but they are also more likely to die of a cardiac event. In fact, according to a study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association, they are up to three times more likely to die after a serious heart attack than men. That is a staggering statistic—especially when you consider that the common perception is still that heart attacks are a “men’s disease.”

- Sex Matters: How male-centric medicine endangers women's health and what we can do about it by Dr Alyson J. Mcgregor.