A study conducted by researchers at the University of Cambridge and University of East Anglia examined diagnostic disparities between men and women with autoimmune conditions. The research, published in the Lancet eClinicalMedicine journal, included more than 6,600 participants, predominantly female and based in the UK.
The findings revealed substantial differences in how doctors approach autoimmune symptoms based on patient gender. Approximately 43% of women reported being told their condition stemmed from psychiatric causes, compared with 33% of men. Additionally, 34% of women reported having symptoms misdiagnosed as psychosomatic—attributed to stress or anxiety—compared with 22% of men. After accounting for variables such as age, disease group, geographic location, and household finances, researchers determined that women were 46% more likely to receive a psychiatric misdiagnosis and 74% more likely to receive a psychosomatic misdiagnosis than men.
The study also documented disparities in diagnostic timelines. While men most frequently received a diagnosis within less than three months, women typically waited between one to two years. Researchers observed that women often required more healthcare consultations before obtaining a diagnosis. Common autoimmune conditions among female participants included autoimmune thyroid disease, affecting nearly a quarter of women surveyed, and systemic lupus, reported in one in seven women. Male participants more frequently had rheumatoid arthritis, vasculitis, and antiphospholipid syndrome.
Lead researcher Melanie Sloan emphasized that the psychological consequences of misdiagnosis extend beyond the initial error, affecting patients’ trust in medical professionals and self-confidence. The study team noted that while diagnostic challenges with autoimmune conditions affect both sexes due to symptom overlap with other conditions, evidence suggests females encounter additional obstacles. Researchers attributed some disparities to persisting historical biases in medicine that may position women as less credible reporters of their symptoms than men.
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