Medical misogyny — how the health system overlooks women's pain and how it's finally adapting episode artwork

EPISODE · Jun 1, 2026 · 53 MIN

Medical misogyny — how the health system overlooks women's pain and how it's finally adapting

from Big Ideas · host Australian Broadcasting Corporation

From GP appointments and hospital procedures, to medical research and clinical trials, for centuries, women's health has historically been dismissed, diminished, or misdiagnosed. But in recent years, there are some signs that the medical system is slowly coming to terms with the fact that women — their bodies, their symptoms, their experiences, are different from men's, and need to be treated as such.This event was recorded at All About Women at Sydney Opera House on 8 March.Speakers:Dr Zoe WainerInaugural Director General of the Australian Centre for Disease ControlCardiothoracic surgeonFormer deputy secretary, Victorian health department, conducted Australia's first ever public inquiry into women's painSummer May Finlay Associate Professor in Indigenous Health, University of WollongongGabrielle Jackson (host)Deputy editor, Guardian AustraliaAuthor, Pain and Prejudice: How the Medical System Ignores Women and What We Can Do About It

From GP appointments and hospital procedures, to medical research and clinical trials, for centuries, women's health has historically been dismissed, diminished, or misdiagnosed. But in recent years, there are some signs that the medical system is slowly coming to terms with the fact that women — their bodies, their symptoms, their experiences, are different from men's, and need to be treated as such. This event was recorded at All About Women at Sydney Opera House on 8 March. Speakers: Dr Zoe Wainer Inaugural Director General of the Australian Centre for Disease Control Cardiothoracic surgeon Former deputy secretary, Victorian health department, conducted Australia's first ever public inquiry into women's pain Summer May Finlay  Associate Professor in Indigenous Health, University of Wollongong Gabrielle Jackson (host) Deputy editor, Guardian Australia Author, Pain and Prejudice: How the Medical System Ignores Women and What We Can Do About It

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Medical misogyny — how the health system overlooks women's pain and how it's finally adapting

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From GP appointments and hospital procedures, to medical research and clinical trials, for centuries, women's health has historically been dismissed, diminished, or misdiagnosed. But in recent years, there are some signs that the medical system is...

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