What should a woman do when her doctor dismisses her medical problem?

Yesterday on Newstalk Breakfast, endometriosis patient Lisa Tierney Keogh said she had been ignored, belittled and misdiagnosed by the medical profession for years. 

One doctor even wrote on her file, “She thinks she’s in constant pain.”

Speaking on the programme today, Dr Caoimhe Hartley said it had been “dreadful” to listen to Ms Tierney Keogh’s experience. 

“I think it’s really important to start out by saying that most GPs, most doctors, don't go into a consultation wanting to discredit their patients,” she said. 

“The majority are there to help you.” 

'We are seeing changes'

The phenomenon of women not being taken seriously during medical appointments has been validated by a number of academic studies over the years. 

Dr Hartley said the fact that it continues to happen is “incredibly frustrating” but she feels things are beginning to change. 

“We are seeing changes in research and more female-led research,” she said. 

“Historically, the majority of scientists, researchers and doctors have been men. 

“Most of the humans studied in medical research have been men and that has been changing.”

Dr Hartley also pointed out that most medical students in Ireland are female - a trend mirrored internationally. 

“That can only be a good thing,” she said.

A young woman at a medical appointment.

Despite this, some women feel female doctors are just as likely to dismiss their concerns as their male colleagues. 

The reason for this, Dr Hartley feels, is “complex”. 

“It probably stems from this historical attitude of women being ‘hysterical’,” she said. 

“Even the word ‘hysteria’ comes from the Greek word for the ‘womb’. 

“We were seen as a ‘walking womb’, essentially. 

“Men were seen as this template, so their bodies were what was studied; they were enrolled in all the studies, they were ‘normal’ and we were just a variation of that.” 

'There should be a conversation'

So, what exactly should a woman do if she feels her doctor is not listening to her concerns?

The simple answer, Dr Hartley believes, is to find one who does their job properly and does not talk over you. 

“We should be able to challenge each other,” she said. 

“You should be able to say to your GP or whoever it is, ‘I think you’re wrong’ and for it not to be confrontational.

“I think that’s a much wider issue that has to be dealt with and, on a personal level, I just think you just have to find a GP that you like, that you get on with, that you trust. 

“The GP should be able to say to you, ‘I know you think that you’re doing the right thing by doing X, Y or Z but I would have evidence to say that maybe that isn’t the right course of action.’

“There should be a conversation about it, as opposed to a paternalistic traditional thing in medicine where we tell people what to do. We have to get away from that.” 

You can search for a new GP using the HSE’s Health Atlas.

You can listen back here:

Main image: Young woman in a doctor's office. Image: Ron Nickel/Design Pics via ZUMA Wire.