A recent survey found that more than half of women in the United States have experienced negative interactions with health care providers in the past five years. These experiences often include being dismissed, not receiving clear answers, or getting conflicting advice from medical professionals. The findings come from a poll conducted by Gallup and Pivotal, a group of organizations founded by Melinda French Gates. The Gallup-Pivotal Women’s Health Survey was conducted online in July among 3,845 women and 1,296 men.
About one in three women said a health care provider had minimized or dismissed their symptoms. Many women also reported being misdiagnosed or not getting a diagnosis at all, which can have serious long-term consequences. Gallup found that 34% of women reported having their symptoms minimized or dismissed and 33% said they had been misdiagnosed or unable to get a diagnosis. Overall, 51% of women reported at least one of four negative health care experiences compared with 39% of men.
The survey showed that women are more likely to feel like their health concerns were minimized or ignored by providers, according to CNN. This problem is especially common when it comes to mental health and chronic pain conditions that are harder to diagnose objectively. In the poll, women were far more likely than men to report fighting to have their health concerns taken seriously: 42% of women said they have had to speak up or advocate for their health, compared with 26% of men. Even when men and women have the same condition, women tend to wait longer for a diagnosis. Gallup found that 47% of women who received a diagnosis for their most recent condition waited at least three months. Twenty-two percent waited a year or longer.
This delay in diagnosis can lead to worsening symptoms and more serious health outcomes. One example is postpartum hemorrhage, a leading cause of maternal death in the U.S. that can go unrecognized or untreated early on. CNN reported that providers do not always act on women’s first reports of symptoms.
Heart attacks in women can also be missed when symptoms are less obvious. Chest pain or discomfort remains the most common heart attack symptom for both women and men. However, women may also experience symptoms such as nausea, shortness of breath, unusual fatigue and pain in the back, shoulder or jaw. The American Heart Association says these symptoms can sometimes be dismissed or mistaken for other problems.
The impact of these issues extends beyond health, affecting women’s careers and family lives. About 42% of women said their health has limited their work in the past five years, with Black women facing even higher rates. CNN reported that the figure was 49% among Black women and 45% among Hispanic women.
The results suggest that women are experiencing a different health care system than men. A sociologist and an epidemiologist looked at medical records and interviews with women to explore what happens behind the scenes, according to a report from USA Today. The work comes from the 2026 book Seen But Not Heard by sociologist Jennifer M. Silva and epidemiologist Annemarie G. Hirsch.
The researchers studied interviews with 87 economically disadvantaged women in rural areas and compared their experiences with records from a large nonprofit health system. They found significant differences between what women said about their lives and what appeared in their electronic medical records. The researchers said medical charts can leave out important parts of patients’ experiences and needs.
Some women may have chosen not to share full details due to past experiences of being stigmatized or dismissed. Hirsch told USA Today that a loss of trust can make women afraid to disclose information. This communication gap can result in delayed diagnoses that last for years. The researchers found cases where women waited a decade or longer for diagnoses of conditions including endometriosis.
One woman from Little Rock, Arkansas, shared her experience of seeking mental health help during and after pregnancy. Nydrianna Raines said she asked a doctor at a women’s clinic for help while she was pregnant and dealing with the deaths of her father and grandmother. She said that the clinic did not recommend any services or medications, even though her symptoms continued through her pregnancy and after giving birth. Her depression became so severe that she could no longer breastfeed her child.
She eventually stopped trying to seek help from the clinic altogether. Raines told USA Today that she instead relied on relatives and the father of her children for support.
The researchers said that these problems are not limited to one area or type of care but are widespread across the health system. They pointed out that misdiagnosis, lack of clear direction, and inconsistent information are common issues.
Access to care can create additional problems. Gallup has found in separate research that long appointment waits remain one of the most common barriers preventing or delaying medical care in the United States.
Experts believe that better communication between patients and providers is needed to address the root causes of these problems. One doctor recommended coming to appointments with a list of questions and concerns to help ensure that important details are not missed. Dr. Wendy Harpham told CNN that patients can write down their highest-priority concerns before an appointment so limited time can be used effectively.
Experts also said responsibility should not fall entirely on patients. Sahnah Lim of NYU Grossman School of Medicine told CNN that dismissal of women’s concerns is a system problem and cannot be solved by individual advocacy alone.
The findings show how deeply embedded these issues are in the health care system, affecting millions of women’s lives.
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