Research has revealed startling gender-based differences in the medical management of pain. Women are taken less seriously when they report pain, treated less aggressively for pain, and are more likely to have their pain explained away as psychological. So why does the gender pain gap exist? And what can be done about it?
Jodie was in her early twenties when she began experiencing frequent and intense headaches. Seeking an answer to her sudden head pain, Jodie saw multiple doctors and was repeatedly told her headaches were normal. After meeting her husband and having children, Jodie also began experiencing severe fatigue. “I would go to the doctors; they would do blood tests and say, ‘There’s nothing’s wrong’ and I just got worse and worse,” recalls Jodie.
Over the years, Jodie’s headaches became even more intense. She felt constantly tired and frequently nauseated. She also started to experience dizziness. “It got to the point where I had to hold onto walls to walk… I
