Is Western Medicine Failing Women?
Why the System is Still Failing —and What You Can Do About It
For all its technological advances and astronomical spending, the U.S. healthcare system is failing women in ways that are archaic, barbaric, and dismissive. Women experience higher rates of misdiagnosis, inadequate pain management, and poorer outcomes in nearly every stage of life—from puberty to menopause. The statistics are stark: the U.S. has one of the highest maternal mortality rates among developed nations, and its infant mortality is also high relative to peers despite spending more per capita on healthcare than any other nation.
This isn’t about access any longer. It’s about a medical system that has historically minimized women’s experiences, excluded them from research, and forced outdated practices on their bodies.
Outdated and Archaic Practices
No pain management for IUD insertion: Women are expected to endure a procedure that can be as painful as labor contractions—yet anesthesia is rarely offered. Compare that to the pain relief routinely available to men for urological procedures.
Medicalized childbirth: Routine interventions such as inductions, continuous fetal monitoring, episiotomies, and unnecessary C-sections often work against the body’s natural physiology, dramatically increasing risks for both mother and baby.
Limited fertility and conception education: Women often enter their reproductive years with little understanding of cycle tracking, ovulation, or fertility health. Education is reactive—often only offered when problems arise.
Screenings stuck in the past: Mammograms and Pap smears remain the standard, even though countries like Sweden and the Netherlands have adopted molecular HPV testing and more advanced imaging techniques for earlier, gentler, and more accurate detection.
The Data Gap: Why We Know So Little About Women’s Health
One of the root causes of poor outcomes is a lack of research. For decades, women were systematically excluded from clinical studies. Scientists claimed women were “too complex” due to hormonal fluctuations, preferring men whose 24-hour testosterone rhythm was “easier to measure.”
The fallout is enormous:
Faulty co-ed studies: Trials that include women often fail to analyze outcomes by sex, masking gender-specific risks.
Misdiagnosis: Women with heart disease, autoimmune disorders, or neurological conditions are often misdiagnosed or dismissed because research—and therefore diagnostic criteria—was built around men. In 2012 it was conjectured that women would see a total of 7 providers before receiving accurate diagnosis and care, now that number is estimated to be 21 providers.
Endometriosis & PCOS: Conditions that affect millions of women receive shockingly little funding or research compared to male-specific conditions of similar prevalence.
Menopause: Despite being a universal transition, menopause research is decades behind, leaving women with few safe, effective options.
The Overprescription of Birth Control
Birth control pills have become the go-to prescription for everything from irregular periods to acne, often handed out to girls as young as 12 or 13 without much discussion of long-term impacts. While contraceptives can be useful in specific circumstances, they are too often used as a blanket solution that masks underlying issues such as PCOS, endometriosis, or nutrient deficiencies—leaving the root causes unaddressed. They are a form of hormone therapy that we’re introducing to young women without seeking root causes for acne, weight gain, insomnia and much more. Continuous use can disrupt natural hormonal rhythms, deplete key nutrients (like B vitamins, magnesium, and zinc), and in some cases, make it harder to conceive once a woman discontinues them. For those ready to transition off birth control, there are steps to restore balance and support fertility: tracking cycles with fertility awareness methods, supporting liver detoxification and gut health to process lingering synthetic hormones, replenishing nutrients through diet and targeted supplementation, and incorporating lifestyle practices like strength training, stress reduction, and anti-inflammatory nutrition. By taking these steps, women can not only regain a deeper understanding of their cycles but also optimize their chances of conception when the time is right.
More Than a Prescription Pad
When many women reach menopause, the default conversation often ends with a prescription slip. One patient recalled her provider sliding a paper across the desk with a list of SSRI options, saying, “Pick one. We’ll just try it out and see if it helps with your hot flashes and mood.” This “trial-and-error” approach reflects a larger systemic issue: rather than addressing the root hormonal and physiological shifts of menopause, women are often left experimenting with antidepressants that were never designed for this purpose.
To be clear, there is evidence that SSRIs and SNRIs can reduce vasomotor symptoms like hot flashes and night sweats. Low-dose paroxetine (Brisdelle) is FDA-approved for this indication, and studies on escitalopram, venlafaxine, and desvenlafaxine show modest improvements compared to placebo. For women who cannot or do not want hormone therapy, these can be valuable tools. But they do not treat the full spectrum of menopause—genitourinary changes, bone density loss, or metabolic risk—and side effects like sexual dysfunction or sleep disruption can add new challenges.
What often gets overlooked is that managing menopause successfully goes far beyond a pill. Evidence supports lifestyle and integrative strategies such as:
Resistance and weight training to counteract age-related muscle loss, improve insulin sensitivity, and support bone density.
Balanced nutrition, with an emphasis on protein, anti-inflammatory foods, and phytoestrogens (like flax and soy) that may ease symptoms.
Stress management practices like meditation, yoga, or breathwork to regulate cortisol and improve sleep quality.
Supplements and botanicals such as black cohosh, ashwagandha, or omega-3 fatty acids, which may help with mood, hot flashes, and inflammation (though research quality varies).
Integrative therapies like acupuncture, IV nutrient support, or peptide protocols for inflammation and energy regulation.
Hormone Replacement therapy, unfortunately data surfaced that negated the positive effects of HRT for women, but there is a trend toward healthy, balanced HRT. We recommend working with a provider who specialized in HRT for women.
Hormone therapy remains the gold standard for hot flashes and bone health when appropriate, but women deserve to know all their options—and to have providers who look beyond trial-and-error prescriptions. Menopause should be treated as a whole-body transition, not just a symptom checklist.
Beyond Reproduction: Where Else Women Are Overlooked
Cardiovascular disease: The #1 killer of women. Symptoms are different from men’s, but most diagnostic algorithms were designed for men, leading to delayed care.
Autoimmunity: Women represent nearly 80% of autoimmune disease cases, yet treatment protocols remain one-size-fits-all.
Pain disorders: From fibromyalgia to chronic pelvic pain, women are more likely to have their pain dismissed as “psychological” or “stress-related.”
Perimenopause and menopause: Women often cycle through multiple providers before receiving a diagnosis, losing years of quality of life.
Why Has This Happened?
Unbalanced representation: Women’s pain is minimized; complaints are dismissed as “emotional.”
Profit-driven system: Quick fixes—like SSRIs or birth control pills—are faster and cheaper than functional or integrative approaches.
Medical education gaps: Most physicians receive minimal training in women’s health outside reproduction.
Cultural taboos: Menstruation, menopause, and fertility struggles remain stigmatized, limiting open discussion.
Research neglect: NIH and FDA policies until the 1990s allowed trials to exclude women entirely. The ripple effect still shapes practice today.
Taking Back Ownership
System change is slow—but women don’t need to wait for permission. Here are steps to take now:
Educate yourself: Track your cycle, learn the phases of fertility, perimenopause, and menopause. Knowledge is power.
Ask hard questions: Don’t accept vague answers—push for labs, imaging, and second opinions.
Seek integrative options: Consider evidence-backed support like IV nutrient therapy, anti-inflammatory peptide stacks (e.g., KPV, MOTS-c, BPC-157), and functional testing.
Challenge the status quo: If your provider dismisses you, find one who listens. Women deserve care that goes beyond “symptom suppression.”
Support research: Fund and advocate for women-centered studies and data collection.
The Path Forward
Challenging the status quo is not optional—it’s the only way forward. Women’s health has been relegated to an afterthought for far too long. Until we demand better research, compassionate care, and modernized practices, the system will continue to rely on outdated, incomplete, and often harmful approaches.
Real healing will not come from waiting on the system. It will come from women advocating for themselves, supporting one another, and insisting on better.
References
World Health Organization. Maternal mortality. Updated 2023. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/maternal-mortality
CDC. Maternal and Infant Health. 2024. https://www.cdc.gov/reproductivehealth/maternalinfanthealth
Criado-Perez C. Invisible Women: Data Bias in a World Designed for Men. Abrams Press; 2019.
National Institutes of Health. Inclusion of Women and Minorities in Clinical Research. Updated 2022.
Office on Women’s Health (U.S. Department of Health & Human Services). Menopause and Mental Health. 2021.
NAMS (North American Menopause Society). Position Statement on Nonhormonal Management of Menopause Symptoms. 2023.
Regitz-Zagrosek V. Sex and gender differences in cardiovascular medicine. Nat Rev Cardiol. 2012;9(8):477–485.
Zondervan KT, Becker CM, Missmer SA. Endometriosis. N Engl J Med. 2020;382:1244–1256.