When it comes to health outcomes, women and men are worlds apart. Women's pain is too often minimized or dismissed, diagnoses flawed—the male body remains the default norm. Drawing on decades of expertise, health historian Muriel Salle, lecturer at Claude Bernard University Lyon 1 and co-lead of Equality Mission at Sciences Po Lyon, and Dr. Gilles Lazimi, general practitioner at Romainville health center and former High Council for Equality member, outline a path forward. It's undeniable: Women outlive men, averaging 83 years to their 78. Yet this longevity comes at a cost—more years spent in poor health.
Childbirth mortality has plummeted, but women now succumb more to traditionally 'male' diseases like heart attacks, lung, liver, pancreas cancers, and COPD. Sexist medicine bears much blame. 'Medical knowledge was historically built around the male body as the norm—the measure of all things,' explains Salle. This stems from male-dominated research and France's exclusion of women from medicine until the 1880s.
Women have long been viewed as inherently 'pathological,' especially in reproduction—biologically distinct, yet stereotyped as fragile, pain-averse, and lesser.
Today, women's health is still reduced to 'bikini medicine' (breasts, ovaries, uterus). Men seek care for real pain; women are dismissed as hypochondriacs or hysterics. This disparity, termed 'Yentl syndrome' by cardiologist Bernadine Healy in 1991, persists in unequal treatment and follow-up.
Male-centric clinical trials overlook physiological differences—women comprise just 33.5% of participants, often excluded due to hormonal cycles. No wonder they experience 1.5 times more drug side effects. Caregiver biases exacerbate this: Gender stereotypes shape listening and diagnosis, fueling inequalities in access and outcomes. Daily, 200 women die from cardiovascular disease.
'We must escape androcentrism—the myth of men as the norm,' urges Salle. Women suffer cardiovascular woes, but men pay dearly for 'feminine' conditions like osteoporosis or depression, where underdiagnosis leads to suicide rates 3-5 times higher than women's.
'True health equality begins at home: Raise boys and girls the same,' advises Dr. Lazimi. Promote shared chores, inclusive play, extended paternity leave. In practice, he relearned by truly listening—probing patients' lives to spot domestic violence. Key questions: 'Have you faced physical, sexual, or psychological violence? Do you fear your partner?' Studies confirm such direct inquiries build trust and open dialogue in confidential settings.
Challenge mental loads, work pressures, and living conditions. Use waiting-room posters and flyers. As male clinicians, self-reflection and advocacy for equality are essential.
France lags neighbors; its first women's health report arrived in 2020. Train future doctors in gendered medicine, as at Berlin's Charité or in Germany, Netherlands, Switzerland, Sweden, U.S., and Canada. Elevate women in health leadership and research.
Embrace holistic care—biological, socio-cultural, economic factors—for precise diagnoses and therapies. Even with 60% female medical students, inherited male-centric practices endure. Teach that humanity, not one sex, is the true measure.
READ: Women and Health: Still a Man's World? Ed. Belin
WATCH: "Women: The Forgotten in Health," Le Monde en Face, France 5, April 20, 2021.
INSERM's 2017 'Gender and Health: Beware Clichés!' featured six videos debunking biases. U.S. ads depict stressed mothers collapsing from heart attacks amid family chaos—realistic calls to action. AÉSIO Mutual's Heart Bus tours underserved areas for cardiovascular screenings, targeting precarious women.
In France, 85% of single-parent families are mother-led; one in three lives in poverty—healthcare access crumbles. AÉSIO Mutuelle partnered with Marie Claire on a Harris Interactive survey* revealing women's prevention habits, cancer views, and gender-specific needs.
*AÉSIO & Harris Interactive survey on women's health, online April 29-May 6, 2021. 2,027 representative French adults 18+.
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