Despite making up more than half of the U.S. population since 1946, women continue to be underrepresented and often underserved by the nation’s healthcare system. A new study by Pegasus Legal Capital sheds light on the medical community’s longstanding male-centric bias and its devastating consequences for women’s health, safety, and trust in care providers.
The findings trace systemic inequities from the exclusion of women in clinical trials before 1993 to the current disparities in diagnosis, treatment, and representation in modern medicine. The message is clear: a one-size-fits-all healthcare system is failing women.
A System Built for Men, Not Women
The U.S. healthcare system has historically treated the male body as the default. From clinical trials to diagnostic protocols, male physiology continues to shape the foundation of medical research—leaving women vulnerable to misdiagnosis, undertreatment, and adverse drug reactions.
Women and men differ metabolically, hormonally, and even at the cellular level. These biological differences can significantly alter how symptoms present and how effective treatments are. Yet, women account for only 40% of clinical trial participants today, and female animals are still often excluded from laboratory studies for fear that hormonal fluctuations could “skew” results.
“Our analysis shows that women are up to twice as likely as men to suffer negative side effects from medications, largely because the medications were never adequately tested on them in the first place,” said a spokesperson at Pegasus Legal Capital.
Emotional Bias and Dismissed Pain
The study also reveals a deeply ingrained stereotype: that women are “more emotional” than men. This bias leads to widespread dismissal of female pain and misinterpretation of symptoms as psychosomatic. Women are routinely underdiagnosed with conditions like heart attacks, strokes, and chronic pain disorders due to symptoms that diverge from the “classic” male model.
- Women are 50% more likely to be misdiagnosed after a heart attack.
- Stroke symptoms like nausea, hiccups, and fatigue are often overlooked in women.
- Chronic pain conditions like fibromyalgia and migraines are frequently misinterpreted or over-medicated.
A staggering one in three women say their healthcare concerns have been dismissed by a provider, while nearly half feel their concerns are not fully acknowledged at medical appointments.
TikTok as a Health Lifeline (and Risk)
Amid this care crisis, many women are turning to TikTok and other social media platforms for health advice and community. A National Institutes of Health (NIH) study found that 65.5% of TikTok users intentionally seek health information on the platform, but nearly 92.4% report unintentionally receiving it, often without verifying its source.
While social media offers peer connection and support, it also opens the door to widespread misinformation, posing additional risks for delayed or incorrect treatment.
Women Face Higher Risk for Serious Conditions
The consequences of gender bias in medicine are far-reaching:
- Diabetes: Women are more likely to develop complications, yet are diagnosed later than men.
- Heart Disease: Women often experience nontraditional symptoms and are more likely to be overlooked.
- Stroke: Each year, 55,000 more women than men suffer strokes in the U.S., yet atypical symptoms lead to frequent misdiagnosis.
Women also face higher rates of chronic pain, anxiety, and depression when dealing with medical conditions, further deepening the emotional and physical burden of gendered healthcare gaps.
A History of Overmedication and Risk
Between 1997 and 2000, eight medications were removed from the U.S. market due to serious adverse effects, primarily in women. These complications included irregular heartbeats, liver failure, and life-threatening side effects, highlighting the urgent need for sex-specific research and testing.
Despite advances, many clinical trials still fail to analyze data by gender, and pregnant or breastfeeding women are routinely excluded from safety studies. The result? Millions of women are left navigating a healthcare system that was never designed with them in mind.
The Cost of Inequality—In Lives and Dollars
According to World Economic Forum (WEF) data, the global gender health gap results in 75 million years lost to illness or premature death every year. Closing this gap would not only improve health outcomes for women—it could also add $1 trillion to the global economy by 2040, thanks to a healthier, more productive female workforce.
A Call for Change
Pegasus Legal Capital is calling on the medical community to:
- Conduct more inclusive clinical trials that represent women across age, race, and life stage.
- Train healthcare providers to recognize and treat gender-specific symptoms.
- Fund female-centric medical research to close the health gap and save lives.
- Build a more personalized, data-informed healthcare model that includes women at every level.
“We’re committed to raising awareness of these systemic gaps and advocating for change,” the Pegasus spokesperson added. “Women’s health is not a niche issue; it’s a national priority.”
