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Diagnosis Female: How Medical Bias Endangers Women's Health
Why do so many women have trouble getting effective and compassionate medical treatment? Diagnosis Female examines this widespread problem, with a focus on misdiagnosis and gender bias. The book zeroes in on specialties where women are more likely to encounter particularly troubling roadblocks: cardiology, neurology, chronic diseases and obstetrics/gynecology. All too often, when doctors can’t figure out what is going on, women receive a diagnosis from the “all in her head” column — this pattern is even worse for women of color, who may face significant challenges in medical settings.
Throughout the work, Emily Dwass profiles women whose stories illustrate how medical practitioners often dismiss their claims or disregard their symptoms. Because women were excluded from important medical research for centuries, doctors don’t always recognize that male symptoms and female symptoms can vary from issue to issue. Even today, most diagnostic tests and treatment plans are based on studies done on men. Throughout the book, women state that their voices do not matter, or worse, their concerns are greeted with skepticism or simply ignored when they seek help. The results can be devastating and long-lasting.
Examining the bias inherent in the system, Dwass offers measures women can take to protect their health and receive better care. She offers advice, too, for the medical community in addressing the problem, so that outcomes can improve all around. If you’re a woman, and you seek medical care, this book is a must-read. Your health depends upon it.
Throughout the work, Emily Dwass profiles women whose stories illustrate how medical practitioners often dismiss their claims or disregard their symptoms. Because women were excluded from important medical research for centuries, doctors don’t always recognize that male symptoms and female symptoms can vary from issue to issue. Even today, most diagnostic tests and treatment plans are based on studies done on men. Throughout the book, women state that their voices do not matter, or worse, their concerns are greeted with skepticism or simply ignored when they seek help. The results can be devastating and long-lasting.
Examining the bias inherent in the system, Dwass offers measures women can take to protect their health and receive better care. She offers advice, too, for the medical community in addressing the problem, so that outcomes can improve all around. If you’re a woman, and you seek medical care, this book is a must-read. Your health depends upon it.
232 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 8, 2019
14 people are currently reading
339 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
October 6, 2019
I received this book as an advanced reader copy from NetGalley for review, my thoughts and opinions are my own.
This book made me so angry.
The way women are treated by the health industry is appalling. It's not just patients either, it's female doctors who also have to jump through hoops of fire to get correct diagnoses for themselves! This book is chock full of emotional stories, specifically those concerning brain tumors, heart problems, and chronic illnesses. So often, women are told 'you're just stressed' or 'it's all in your head.'
This book led to me journaling about my own medical experiences, and how I'm realizing just how much of it was due to my age/gender, and how much better off I would have been if doctors had listened to me. I was a child, too young to understand how to advocate for myself. I was lucky in that my mom was a nurse and could do it for me. This book ends with a discussion of how doctor's have been taught not to bring emotions into it, and how that's changing. There's also an important discussion on how to communicate with doctors and advocate with yourself.
This book is full of stories, interviews, and expert insight, making this book so real and legitimate, and really pushing these issues and letting you know how important it is. I think everyone needs to read this, in order to better learn to empathize with and believe women, and that women are not 'little men.' Men have always been, and are still the default anatomical example for humanity, when male and female bodies have very different reactions to similar medical issues.
This book made me so angry.
The way women are treated by the health industry is appalling. It's not just patients either, it's female doctors who also have to jump through hoops of fire to get correct diagnoses for themselves! This book is chock full of emotional stories, specifically those concerning brain tumors, heart problems, and chronic illnesses. So often, women are told 'you're just stressed' or 'it's all in your head.'
This book led to me journaling about my own medical experiences, and how I'm realizing just how much of it was due to my age/gender, and how much better off I would have been if doctors had listened to me. I was a child, too young to understand how to advocate for myself. I was lucky in that my mom was a nurse and could do it for me. This book ends with a discussion of how doctor's have been taught not to bring emotions into it, and how that's changing. There's also an important discussion on how to communicate with doctors and advocate with yourself.
This book is full of stories, interviews, and expert insight, making this book so real and legitimate, and really pushing these issues and letting you know how important it is. I think everyone needs to read this, in order to better learn to empathize with and believe women, and that women are not 'little men.' Men have always been, and are still the default anatomical example for humanity, when male and female bodies have very different reactions to similar medical issues.
July 6, 2019
Five stars! I would give more stars if possible. The format, content and style of this book are all home runs. If you are female, I highly recommend you pick up a copy of this book. If you work in the healthcare industry I recommend you pick up a copy of this book. It's refreshing to see the gender-bias in the medical industry studied and assessed so astutely in a straightforward and engaging style. Thank you, Emily Dwass for writing this book!
November 28, 2019
A exemplary body of work ! All women must read this book.
If you are a woman and seek medical care you have a 10% chance of getting decent care by a knowledgeable professional as the author writes so brilliantly of. Every women should read this book ! . As a chronic pain patient I have been through so much bias as a woman and disinterest, rudeness, incompetence and abusive treatment recently . ( Kaiser has the most abusive worse doctors on the planet) .
So I have been through it all from abuse to incompetence so I was very interested to read this book . I highly recommend all women read this book as it will help you navigate your health through a male dominated, misogynist system that disrespects women and does not have proper training in how to treat us. I learned that most medical schools are not training medical care for women's bodies. The entire system is set up for males. This includes patient care and how they relate to patients. I have no doubt this book will help me navigate an unfair system that I have found to be incompetent for my health treatment.
There is a bias in the western medical male dominated industry against women and we are suffering for the lack of treatment. We are not getting the right treatment or diagnosis due to unskilled doctors untrained in women's health issues. There doctors are operating on us and they have no training on our bodies ! The entire training, treatment and system of training doctors is set up for male bodies only ! The bias you feel when your in an appointment, the disrespect, the inability to diagnosis you is because you are experiencing what the author is writing about and exposing so well here. There are so many stories here that are my stories and similar to my experiences. Read this book and take it seriously. The author knows of what she writes and the material is presented well and concise so the most inexperienced reader can benefit from this book. I recommend this exemplary body of work to all women !
If you are a woman and seek medical care you have a 10% chance of getting decent care by a knowledgeable professional as the author writes so brilliantly of. Every women should read this book ! . As a chronic pain patient I have been through so much bias as a woman and disinterest, rudeness, incompetence and abusive treatment recently . ( Kaiser has the most abusive worse doctors on the planet) .
So I have been through it all from abuse to incompetence so I was very interested to read this book . I highly recommend all women read this book as it will help you navigate your health through a male dominated, misogynist system that disrespects women and does not have proper training in how to treat us. I learned that most medical schools are not training medical care for women's bodies. The entire system is set up for males. This includes patient care and how they relate to patients. I have no doubt this book will help me navigate an unfair system that I have found to be incompetent for my health treatment.
There is a bias in the western medical male dominated industry against women and we are suffering for the lack of treatment. We are not getting the right treatment or diagnosis due to unskilled doctors untrained in women's health issues. There doctors are operating on us and they have no training on our bodies ! The entire training, treatment and system of training doctors is set up for male bodies only ! The bias you feel when your in an appointment, the disrespect, the inability to diagnosis you is because you are experiencing what the author is writing about and exposing so well here. There are so many stories here that are my stories and similar to my experiences. Read this book and take it seriously. The author knows of what she writes and the material is presented well and concise so the most inexperienced reader can benefit from this book. I recommend this exemplary body of work to all women !
January 27, 2020
ED has produced a good survey of how there is a bias in treating women's health problems. She starts with her own example and then in subsequent chapters presents other case histories. All of these give evidence of doctors (male but also female) regarding women as neurotic, overly emphasizing their symptoms, even faking their symptoms to gain attention. Though there has been improvement, still there are doctors not only downplaying women's pains etc., but even just ignoring them. Nor do doctors necessarily realize that women react differently to the standard dosages, which are based, of course, on men's weights and sizes (and hormones). Women are still excluded from medical and pharmaceutical research, though there have been some studies including them (though perhaps only as 3% or so of the studied population. I myself have experienced this disregard. If you are unaware of this situation, this book is a good first start, well-documented. I should add that ED does bring up the fact that those that are transgender, etc., also are excluded from these biased trials, etc.
July 15, 2024
It's an interesting book with many anecdotes by female patients with experiences navigating the US medical system. As a female patient who was initially misdiagnosed before a critical medical episode, these stories particularly resonated with me. While I feel most of the medical statistics the book sites are cherry picked or pointing to correlation rather than causation, the book does a good job of illustrating a need for better understanding of our personal health as well as the struggles we, women in particular, face when trying to receive accurate and timely medical intervention. The book also provides a guideline for how to speak to medical professionals so as not to be ignored or have your concerns diminished. I feel like this is a good book for everyone, not just women to read to better seek help for chronic and hard to diagnose symptoms. Be your own best health advocate.
February 4, 2020
Not as info and stat heavy as Invisible Women. The author discusses her own experiences with the medical field, as well as other women's. Each story is accompanied by information from doctors and endnotes for sources. What was nifty was the 'further reading' list and support groups in the back.
July 17, 2019
Diagnosis Female is a book that all females and medical professionals should read. The book is well written and informative. A must read.
July 18, 2019
I received an arc of this book on netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
It was okay, but it got kind of boring but it was interesting and useful to see how the healthcare system works.
It was okay, but it got kind of boring but it was interesting and useful to see how the healthcare system works.
December 2, 2019
This is one of those books that every woman should read.
December 27, 2019
A must read for women.
January 22, 2020
Absolutely fabulous. A well written, well researched in-depth look at gender bias in medicine, and it’s consequences. A must read for everyone.
September 14, 2020
Great stories good research on a topic relevant to 50% if the population. Adding a guide on how to get better care would be a plus.
February 25, 2021
The statistics in this book were unfortunately not shocking, but extremely disturbing. Well researched, and well-written. Highly recommend.
January 12, 2023
Really interesting book about women being misdiagnosed.
It covers the USA which I feel can be a more negative environment for healthcare but 🤷♀️
It covers the USA which I feel can be a more negative environment for healthcare but 🤷♀️
April 17, 2023
Great topic + message, and some good research, but incongruent narrative that was a bit too heavy on personal storytelling.
November 15, 2024
A little more medical journal than narrative, but a look at gender bias through a few case studies.
July 5, 2025
Extremely well written book. The personal stories will make you furious in the way only a topic that needs to be brought to light can.
March 15, 2024
Such a well written, well laid out book. The author is well researched and includes anecdotes from women to add a face and a tangible impact to help drive the point further home.
March 11, 2025
This is an eye-opening and compelling exploration of the systemic biases that women face in healthcare. Johnson masterfully combines personal narratives, historical context, and scientific research to shed light on how gender bias has shaped medical treatment—and how it continues to impact women's health outcomes today. What I appreciated most about this book was how it not only highlighted the problems but also provided a roadmap for change. The storytelling is both engaging and informative, making complex issues accessible without oversimplifying them. It reinforced the importance of advocacy, both on an individual and systemic level, and left me feeling empowered rather than discouraged. Whether you're in the medical field, have personal experiences with medical bias, or simply want to better understand the challenges women face in healthcare, Diagnosis Female is a must-read. It's a crucial conversation starter and a call to action for more equitable, patient-centered care.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews