Why Women Are More Likely to Be Misdiagnosed And Why Black Women Face Even Higher Risks

Let’s talk honestly for a moment.

Women are far more likely to be misdiagnosed in healthcare than men and not because their symptoms are unclear. It’s because of gender bias, outdated medical research, and deeply rooted systemic issues that still shape how women are treated in medical spaces.

Photo by bruce mars on Unsplash

From heart disease to autoimmune disorders, women’s symptoms are too often brushed off as stress, anxiety, or “just hormones.” Instead of real answers, many women are sent home with reassurance instead of care.

And during Black History Month, it’s especially important to name this truth:
Black women face even greater risks  of being dismissed, misdiagnosed, delayed in treatment, and overlooked because racial bias and gender bias don’t exist separately. They compound each other.

Understanding why this happens isn’t just educational  it’s the first step toward changing a system that needs to do better for women.

“That’s Normal.” “You’re Just Stressed.” “It’s Probably Anxiety.”

Most women have heard at least one of these phrases in a doctor’s office.

Women’s symptoms are often taken less seriously not because they aren’t real, but because they’re minimized. Pain gets downplayed. Concerns get reframed as emotional. Real physical symptoms get labeled as stress.

And the data backs this up: women wait longer for diagnoses, receive fewer referrals, and are less likely to get imaging or advanced testing even when something serious is happening in their bodies.

Medicine Wasn’t Built With Women in Mind

Here’s something many people don’t realize much of modern medicine was developed using male-centered research. That means diagnostic standards, symptom models, and treatment guidelines were often built around male bodies not female ones.

So when women show up with different symptoms, they don’t always fit the “textbook” version of illness.

That’s why:

• Heart attacks in women look different
• Autoimmune diseases get missed for years
• ADHD and autism in women go undiagnosed
• Hormonal and reproductive conditions are under-researched

The system wasn’t designed for women and women pay the price for that gap.

When Women Are Labeled Emotional Instead of ILL

There’s also a deeper layer: stereotyping.

Women with chronic pain or complex symptoms are more likely to be seen as:

• Overreacting
• Emotional
• Dramatic
• Psychosomatic

So instead of being investigated, they’re dismissed. That’s why conditions like endometriosis, PCOS, lupus, fibromyalgia, thyroid disorders, and chronic fatigue syndrome often take years to diagnose even when women are clearly suffering.

Why Black Women Face Even Higher Risks

Now add race into the equation. Black women face both sexism and racism in healthcare and the combination is dangerous.

There are documented studies showing that some providers still hold false beliefs that Black women feel less pain, which leads to:

• Less pain management
• Fewer diagnostic tests
• More medical neglect
• More delayed care

This isn’t just bias it’s life-threatening.

The Black Maternal Health Crisis Is a Reflection of This System

Black women in the U.S. are three to four times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than white women.

And many of those deaths happen because symptoms were dismissed:

• Severe headaches
• High blood pressure
• Breathing problems
• Excessive bleeding
• Postpartum complications

These are warning signs and too often, they’re ignored. This isn’t about individual doctors. It’s about a system that consistently fails to protect Black women’s lives.

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The Weight of Medical Racism

There’s also history and history matters. Medical racism didn’t end in the past. Its impact is still felt:

• Trust in healthcare systems
• Access to quality care
• Provider bias
• Health outcomes

For many Black women, navigating healthcare means navigating a system that hasn’t always treated them as worthy of protection.

The Conditions Women Are Commonly Misdiagnosed With

Women especially Black women are more likely to experience delayed or incorrect diagnosis for things like:

• Heart disease
• Lupus
• PCOS
• Endometriosis
• Thyroid disorders
• Fibromyalgia
• Chronic fatigue syndrome
• Depression that masks physical illness
• Pregnancy and postpartum complications

This isn’t rare it’s common.

The Emotional Cost No One Talks About

Being dismissed over and over again changes you.

It creates:

• Medical trauma
• Fear of seeking care
• Self-doubt
• Anxiety
• Loss of trust in doctors

And for Black women, there’s often the added emotional labor of having to fight just to be believed.

How Women Can Protect Themselves

Until systems change, women often have to advocate for themselves and that’s not fair, but it’s real.

Things that help:
✔ Tracking symptoms
✔ Asking direct questions
✔ Getting second opinions
✔ Bringing support to appointments
✔ Trusting your instincts

Community care, culturally competent providers, doulas, and women-centered wellness spaces can make a real difference.

What Actually Needs to Change

This isn’t just a personal issue it’s a systemic one.

Healthcare has to:

• Invest in women-centered research
• Address racial and gender bias
• Protect Black maternal health
• Train providers in trauma-informed care
• Listen to patient voices
• Build systems rooted in dignity and respect

Women Deserve Healthcare That Listens:

Women aren’t being misdiagnosed because their symptoms are unclear. They’re being misdiagnosed because they’re not being believed. And Black women aren’t just overlooked they’re put at risk.

Download our free Women’s Health Advocacy Guide to learn how to speak up, track symptoms, and get the care you deserve.

👉 Get the Free Guide