I'm sure this is right. I went to my GP 6x before I was believed. Finally, a female GP referred me to hospital immediately and reprimanded her male colleague. https://www.theguardian.com/society/2026/oct/13/women-autoimmune-conditions-psychological-misdiagnosis-cambridge-study

This study shows that, if this was my experience, it is much worse for women. I think I had it bad because I was outside the core demographic for RA. But medics need to listen.

There are so many horror stories of RA patients, who are predominantly female, reporting terrible diagnostic pathways, taking years on end for them to be listened to, understood, and treated, for a harrowing disease.