Women With Autoimmune Diseases More Likely to Be Misdiagnosed Than Men
Women with autoimmune disease are also more likely to be misdiagnosed with mental health conditions than men. MementoJpeg/Moment/Getty Images A new study found that women with autoimmune diseases often take longer to get a correct diagnosis. The researchers added that women are more likely to be misdiagnosed with mental health conditions than men. Factors such as disease presentation, research…
A new international study published in eClinicalMedicine revealed that women with autoimmune diseases are more likely to face longer delays in receiving a correct diagnosis compared to men. The research, which surveyed 6,607 participants, including 91.2% females, found that women experienced an average of 4 years of delays before receiving their diagnosis, while men were diagnosed within a year 50% of the time.
Women were also more prone to be misdiagnosed with mental health or psychosomatic conditions, with 43.3% reporting such misdiagnoses versus 32.7% of men. Despite these disparities, women were almost twice as likely as men to receive an accurate autoimmune disease diagnosis. The study suggests that factors like disease presentation, research gaps, fragmented care, and unconscious medical bias contribute to these disparities.
Researchers recommend that doctors should be cautious when diagnosing autoimmune diseases, particularly in women, and that patients should advocate for themselves in the healthcare system.
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