The key facts

  • Women wait longer than men for an autoimmune disease diagnosis on average: 60.4% wait more than a year, versus nearly 50% of men who receive a diagnosis within a year.
  • Women are almost 75% more likely to receive an erroneous psychosomatic diagnosis and 50% more likely to receive a psychiatric one compared to men.
  • The study covered more than 6,000 patients and linked the delays to historical gender biases and a lack of data on women's health.

The gender gap in autoimmune disease diagnosis

A new study analyzing data from more than 6,000 patients revealed significant inequality in the time it takes to reach a diagnosis between men and women. Although women account for 70% to 80% of all autoimmune disease cases worldwide, they face longer delays in receiving a correct diagnosis. Nearly a third of the women surveyed waited four years or longer for a diagnosis. At the same time, almost half of the men were diagnosed within a year of the first symptoms appearing. For 60.4% of women, the wait for a correct diagnosis exceeded one year.

Causes of delays and historical biases

Study co-author Shaista Tayabali links these 'stark' differences to the persistence of historical gender biases in medicine. Among the possible causes, she cites insufficient research in the field of women's health, as well as the use of machine learning algorithms trained on gender-skewed data. Tayabali noted that although outdated labels such as 'hysteria' are now rarely used, women still find it harder to get their symptoms taken seriously and properly assessed by doctors.

The risk of psychosomatic and psychiatric errors

One of the key problems is the tendency of doctors to attribute symptoms such as fatigue, pain, sleep disturbances, or low mood to psychosomatic or psychiatric causes without initially considering autoimmune diseases. The study showed that 34% of women reported that their symptoms were misinterpreted as psychosomatic, compared with 22% of men. In addition, women were almost 50% more likely to receive an incorrect psychiatric diagnosis and almost 75% more likely to receive a psychosomatic one compared to men.

Impact on patients and trust in the healthcare system

Lengthy diagnostic journeys and misdiagnoses lead to a lack of necessary treatment and a loss of patient trust in the healthcare system. In the study, participants reported the number of consultations and previous diagnoses received before their autoimmune condition was confirmed. The most common autoimmune conditions affecting women are type 1 diabetes, autoimmune thyroid disease, systemic lupus erythematosus, and multiple sclerosis.

Experts' views on the need for change

David D'Cruz, consultant rheumatologist at Guy's Hospital in London, called on clinicians to be more open and attentive to patients' complaints. He emphasized the need to consider the possibility of an undiagnosed autoimmune disease when relevant symptoms are present. D'Cruz clarified that this is not to say psychiatric diagnoses are never correct, as a person may have both types of conditions simultaneously. He also noted that psychiatric symptoms can be part of the autoimmune process itself, especially in diseases such as lupus, which can directly affect the brain.