LIGHTING AND STUDIES SHOW THAT
IT HAPPENS TO FEMALE PATIENTS A
LOT AND THE IMPACT ON THEIR
HEALTH CAN BE DEVASTATING.
IT'S BEEN CALLED THE #METOO OF
HEALTHCARE.
DOCTORS MISDIAGNOSING,
DISMISSING, EVEN GAS LIGHTING
THEIR FEMALE PATIENTS.
>> I HEARD EVERYTHING FROM YOU
ARE JUST TIRED TO ONE DOCTOR
ACTUALLY SAID WELL I THINK IT IS
JUST BECAUSE YOU HAVE YOUR
PERIOD.
>> I WAS TOLD THAT I WAS
OVERWEIGHT.
I NEEDED TO LOSE WEIGHT.
THAT I WAS DEPRESSED.
AND NEEDED THERAPY.
>> Reporter: FOR FOUR YEARS,
MARIA GARCIA SUFFERED FROM
INTENSE STOMACH AND BACK PAIN.
BUT SAYS HER DOCTORS TOLD HER
THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG.
SHE JUST NEEDED TO SLIM DOWN.
BUT HER SYMPTOMS ESCALATED.
VOMITING, WEAKNESS AND HAIR
LOSS.
HER SPECIALIST STILL DISMISSED
HER.
>> I BEGGED HIM FOR A CAT SCAN.
PLEASE.
DO SOMETHING.
THIS IS NOT RIGHT.
OH, YOU JUST HAVE TO LEARN TO
LIVE WITH IT.
>> YOU FEEL COMPLETELY CRAZY?
>> I STARTED TO BELIEVE THEM.
I THOUGHT MAYBE I AM CRAZY.
>> Reporter: HEALTH FAILING, SHE
FINALLY WENT TO THE E.R. AT
CEDAR SINAI IN LOS ANGELES WHERE
A STAN REVEALED THE TERRIFYING
TRUTH.
MARIA HAD A 25 POUND CANCEROUS
TUMOR GROWING IN HER OVARY.
SURGEONING WERE ABLE TO REMOVE
IT JUST IN TIME.
>> I WAS PROBABLY ABOUT TWO
WEEKS AWAY FROM DEATH.
>> Reporter: SO DID YOU FEEL
ONCE YOU GOT YOUR DIAGNOSIS RAGE
OR RELIEF?
>> BOTH.
I THINK BEING AN OVERWEIGHT
HISPANIC WOMAN WAS TO MY
DETRIMENT.
EVERYTHING COULD BE ATTRIBUTED
TO EITHER ME BEING DRAMATIC,
EXAGGERATING AND BEING FAT.
>> Reporter: STUDIES SHOW BIAS
AGAINST WOMEN, ESPECIALLY THOSE
OF COLOR IS A PROBLEM ACROSS
HEALTHCARE FROM TREATMENT TO
RESEARCH.
>> MOST OF THE DATA THAT WE USE TODAY IN MEDICINE IS BASED ON
TODAY IN MEDICINE IS BASED ON
RESEARCH ON MEN, MALE ANIMALS OR
MALE CELLS.
>> Reporter: -- A SECOND ABOUT
THAT.
REPEAT THAT.
BECAUSE MUCH OF WHAT WE KNOW
TODAY WHEN IT COMES TO HEALTH IS
BASED ON MEN.
>> YES.
>> Reporter: EXPERTS SAY THE
WORST MEDICAL GAS LIGHTING COMES
IN THE DIAGNOSIS OF AUTO IMMUNE
DISEASES WHICH IMPACT AN E
ESTIMATED 1 IN 5 WOMEN AND
INVOLVE SYMPTOMS EASY TO WRITE
OFF LIKE CHRONIC FIELD GOAL.
>> AUTO IMMUNE DISEASES WE'RE
ABOUT TEN YEARS BEHIND WHERE WE
SHOULD BE.
>> Reporter: IN HER NEW BOOK,
AUTHOR MEGAN O'ROURKE DOCUMENTS
HER OWN STRUGGLE WITH AUTO
IMMUNE SYMPTOMS AND HER BATTLE
TO BE BELIEVED BY DOCTORS.
>> I FELT SO ALONE WHEN I WAS
STICK AND I DISTRUSTED MYSELF.
>> WOMEN FEEL SUCH SHAME WITH
THEIR SYMPTOMS, THEY DON'T WANT
TO STEAM HYSTERICAL OR THEY
DON'T WANT TO SEEM LIKE THEY ARE
A COMPLAINER.
WHAT IS YOUR HOPE THIS BHOOK
DOES?
>> MY PRIMARY HOPE IS THAT IT
HELPS PEOPLE FEEL HEARD AND
SEEN.
>> Reporter: LEADERS AT TOP
HOSPITALS ARE ALSO PUSHING FOR
CHANGE.
SECURING MORE FUNDING FOR
WOMEN'S HEALTH RESEARCH,
TRAINING MORE DOCTORS AND HOW TO
RECOGNIZE GENDER BIASES AND
EMPOWERING FEMALE PATIENTS TO
ADVOCATE FOR THEMSELVES.
>> WOMEN WANT TO BE THE GOOD
PATIENT, RIGHT?
THEY DON'T WANT TO DISAPPOINT
THEIR DOCTOR.
THEY DON'T WANT TO MAKE ANYONE
ANGRY.
SO I THINK IT IS REALLY
IMPORTANT FOR PATIENTS TO
UNDERSTAND THAT MEDICINE IS
REALLY A TEAM WORK.
>> Reporter: TO GET THE BEST
CARE, EXPERTS SAY KEEP A
DETAILED DIARY OF SYMPTOMS TO
SHOW DOCTORS.
ASK FOR A THOROUGH PHYSICAL EXAM
AND DON'T BE AFRAID TO GET A
SECOND, THIRD OR EVEN FOURTH
OPINION.
MARIA GARCIA SAYS THAT SAVED HER
LIFE.
>> SO NOW I STAND UP FOR MYSELF
AND I ENCOURAGE OTHER WOMEN TO
DO THE SAME.
STAND UP.
YOU ARE WORTH IT.
>> Reporter: IF YOU AREN'T
FEELING HERD BY YOUR DOCTOR,
EXPERTS SAY ANOTHER GOOD
APPROACH IS TO ASK THEM HEY IF
YOU WERE IN MY POSITION, WHAT
QUESTIONS WOULD YOU ASK?
AND WHAT SPECIALISTS WOULD YOU
SEE NEXT?
IT IS IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER
DOCTORS ARE OFTEN PATIENTS
THEMSELVES.
AND SO THEY SAY APPEAL TO THEM
ON THAT LEVEL.
A PERSONAL LEVEL.
>> GOOD ADVICE.
THE OLE THING ABOUT RESEARCH NOT
BEING DONE ON WOMEN FOR
DISEASES --
>> -- EXACTLY YEAH.
SO WOMEN'S HEALTH IS DECADES
BEHIND BUT THAT IS BEGINNING TO
CHANGE.
BUT PARTICULARLY FOR WOMEN MY
AGE WHO GO TO ASK FOR
INFORMATION ABOUT MENOPAUSE OR
PARAMENOPAUSE, OR HORMONES.
THEY ARE LIKE WE DON'T HAVE THE
RESEARCH.
BUT THE IMPORTANT THING I THINK
FROM HERE IS THAT WOMEN NEED TO
WRITE DOWN WHAT THEY ARE
FEELING.
AND MEN TOO BY THE WAY.
DOCTORS HAVE A LIMITED AMOUNT OF
TIME WHEN TALKING TO YOU.
THEY WANT TO GET THROUGH IT AND
YOU HAVE GOT TO KNOW YOUR BODY.
AND YOU KNOW YOUR BODY BEST.