— Chipotle's chief brand officer on the chain's new three-foot-wide takeout bag that can fit a chair, a trumpet, or a traffic cone. Your move, Hermès.
Women’s Health
The Gender Pain Gap Is Real
What's going on: There might be a reason you always ask a woman if she has Tylenol. In a study published earlier this month, researchers pooled pain data from more than 6 million people in 118 countries and found women report more pain than men at every one of the 11 body sites they tracked, from head to knees. (And that pain increases the most before age 55.) But here comes the hard part: getting someone to believe you. Now, a new study looking at women with autoimmune disorders (such as rheumatoid arthritis and lupus) found that women took longer to get diagnosed, and were more likely to be told their symptoms were psychological. Over a third of women also wait four or more years for a diagnosis, and 43% of women had their physical symptoms attributed to a mental health condition, compared to 33% of men. One reason the authors suggest female symptoms are harder to pin down may have to do with hormonal fluctuations. Fair, but we suspect research still done mostly on males might have something to do with it.
How to speak up: In ERs, women are less likely than men to be prescribed pain meds, even when they report the same pain level… and nurses are less likely to record their pain score. So walk in with receipts. Get specific. Instead of “my back hurts,” say you can’t pick up your toddler or climb the stairs without flinching. And don’t leave without a game plan. More tests? A referral? If the answer is “let’s wait and see” — cue eyeroll — ask how long you’re waiting and the specific pain management plan in the interim.
PS: Staying on top of health news is the first step to staying on top of your health. Skimm Well + Good breaks down the research so you understand your body and can advocate for yourself. Sign up here.
