Discrimination against female patients
posted: 03-12-04 5:31am

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i believe that women are discriminated against in the medical world. Not by all doctors but I believe they are the majority. They don't take womens concerns seriously and often think that our problems are emotional instead of real. Quick to say you are depressed or treat you as if you are a hypocondriac. For ten years I was having problems with my heart. They started when I was 14y.Old and got worse. I began looking for help at age 18. Palpatations, rapid heart rate(160 bpm) out of the blue and when i'm sedentary, numbness and tingling mainly in my left arm and sometimes pain, dizziness, and shortness of breath. I discussed this problem with 5 private practice doctors (all men but even one woman doctor) and 2 e.R. Doctors during a 10 year period. Only the e.R. Doctors did an ekg. But all of them said it was panic attacks and put me on zanax! And a variety of anti-depressants. 10 years later I go to work for a cardiologist office and after awhile (still having problems) I spoke to a nurse about it and she took my blood pressure. It was fine. She suggested that I see one of our 13 doctors. So I did. They ran tests including an echocardiogram which concluded that I had a mitral valve and tricuspid valve prolapses. Not deadly but life disrupting symptoms. The doctor knew it was a prolapse just by listening to my heart and hearing my symptoms. The echo just confirmed his opinion. Later I found out that it is hereditary and that both my mom and my grandmother have it. (my mom has one and my grandmother has two like me.)it is also common in women. Like 1 in 10 women have it. But not all have symptoms. Tell me why wouldn't these other doctors have done further testing and be so quick to put me on zanax and anti-depressants. Which I did not need. Other experiences have happened as well that have led me to believe that the doctor I saw did not take me seriously and also that when I ask questions they don't seem to really want to answer them. As if I don't need to understand or won't understand what they are going to tell me. I took a class in college called fitness for life. It stated just what I had suspected.Statics show that women are sometimes discrimated against because of the male perception of women. I will find the book and quote it to you later in another post to update this one. Well I think we women should try to do something about this. I'm not sure what at this time. But I will think about it. Please share any opinions, experiences, or suggestions with me. Thanks. :d