DeepSummary
The episode features an interview with Caroline Riley, a writer who has been diagnosed with endometriosis, a chronic illness where tissue similar to the uterine lining grows outside the uterus causing severe pain and other symptoms. Caroline discusses the struggles she faced getting an accurate diagnosis and finding effective treatment, as endometriosis is often dismissed or misunderstood by many doctors.
A major focus is the sexism and misogyny faced by women seeking treatment for chronic illnesses and chronic pain, as studies show women's pain is more likely to be disbelieved or minimized by medical professionals compared to men. Caroline highlights how issues like racism and transphobia compound these problems for marginalized groups.
Caroline also talks about the limited access to proper endometriosis treatment like excision surgery, which is often not covered by insurance companies despite being more effective than other treatments. She emphasizes how quality of care is dictated by financial resources, creating unjust disparities.
Key Episodes Takeaways
- Endometriosis, a chronic illness where uterine tissue grows outside the uterus, is often dismissed or misunderstood by medical professionals, especially in women.
- Women's pain and medical concerns are more likely to be disbelieved, minimized, or dismissed by doctors compared to men's due to ingrained sexism and misogyny in medicine.
- Women of color, trans individuals, and other marginalized groups face additional barriers and discrimination when seeking treatment for chronic illnesses.
- Excision surgery is considered the most effective treatment for endometriosis, but it is costly and often not covered by insurance due to coding/classification issues.
- Quality of care and access to proper treatment for endometriosis is largely dictated by a patient's financial resources, creating disparities.
- Improving patient-provider relationships and dismantling hierarchies could help address issues like disbelieving women's symptoms and lack of informed consent.
- Women are encouraged to advocate for themselves, seek second opinions, join support groups, and not dismiss chronic pelvic pain as "normal."
- More education, research, and medical guidance is needed to raise awareness and improve standards of care for endometriosis and other chronic illnesses affecting women.
Top Episodes Quotes
- “And the disbelief didn't stop with the diagnosis and having a name for it. It was an ongoing, and it still is, I think, in a lot of respects, for me, and I know everybody who lives with chronic conditions, I have a lot of friends who have endometriosis who deal with the same thing.“ by Caroline Riley
- “I think when I do research into not only endometriosis, but medical misogyny and patient centered care, I think what makes all the difference is a betterment of the patient provider relationship.“ by Caroline Riley
- “I think specifically with endometriosis, obviously there are things that the vast majority of doctors don't understand about it or, you know, to this day still sort of parrot old information about.“ by Caroline Riley
Entities
Concept
Product
Book
Person
Organization
Treatment
Episode Information
Season of the Bitch
Season of the Bitch
1/24/20