Women face longer waits and misdiagnoses for autoimmune diseases

Women face significantly longer delays than men when seeking a diagnosis for autoimmune diseases, according to Euronews. A study reported by the outlet showed that women are more likely to have physical autoimmune symptoms dismissed as psychological conditions, including anxiety or depression. [1]

Euronews reported that nearly a third of surveyed women wait four years or longer for a correct diagnosis. While nearly half of men receive a diagnosis within a year of symptom onset, 60.4% of women wait more than a year to be correctly diagnosed. [1]

Autoimmune diseases occur when the immune system mistakenly attacks healthy cells and tissues. These conditions are widely recognized to be significantly more common in women than in men, and they often present differently between the sexes. [1][2]

The disparities between sexes are still under investigation. Factors may include the presence of an additional X chromosome in women, higher levels of female sex hormones such as estrogen, and female-specific physiological changes like hormonal shifts. [2]