Social Democrats Senator Patricia Stephenson today raised serious concerns about the continued failure to believe women within the Irish healthcare system, and the prevalence of medical gaslighting.
Senator Stephenson said:
“In the Seanad today, I called on the Minister for Health to provide a full update on the implementation of the Women’s Health Action Plan.
“Since I first spoke in the Seanad about women not being believed by medical professionals, I have received hundreds of messages from women sharing deeply personal accounts of being dismissed, misdiagnosed, or denied care.
“These stories are not isolated incidents. They reveal a widespread culture of medical gaslighting – where women’s pain is minimised, their concerns are brushed off, and their autonomy is denied. This is not a historic issue – it is happening right now.
“There are particular concerns about the impact on women experiencing endometriosis, undergoing IUD insertion without pain relief, or facing delayed diagnoses for chronic and life-threatening conditions.
“International and national studies confirm what women already know: they are more likely to have their symptoms attributed to anxiety or exaggeration, and less likely to receive timely, appropriate treatment.
“There has also been a disproportionate impact on marginalised women, including disabled women, Travellers, Roma, migrants, and survivors of trauma – many of whom reported being ignored or subject to harmful and prejudiced treatment.
“These are systemic failures. Women are being given sedatives instead of mental health care. They are being told their pain is imagined. They are dismissed because of who they are.
“While I acknowledge the Department’s plan to initiate a new ‘radical listening’ exercise in 2025, listening alone is not enough. We cannot fix what we do not measure. Without disaggregated data and clear accountability, the same harms will continue to occur behind closed doors.
“Women deserve to be heard, but they also deserve to be believed, respected, and treated with dignity.”
May 1, 2025