Gender biases exist in various fields, including medicine. According to research, women wait longer in emergency departments and are less likely to receive effective painkillers than men.*
According to statistics, migraine in women is more common**, so it is traditionally considered a “female disease.”
This fact is one of the most important ones that have contributed to the development of stigma and stereotypes negatively affecting those who suffer from this disease. Even now, in the 21st century, migraines in women are often the subject of stupid jokes about the fulfillment of “marital duty” or “disease of aristocrats.”
Migraines in women: statistics
According to WHO, the prevalence of headaches among adults (with clinical manifestations of at least once during the last year) is about 50%. Between half and three quarters of people aged 18-65 worldwide have had a headache in the past year, and more than 30% of them report migraines.***
Migraine is a serious neurological disease, its mechanisms are being studied to this day. The main symptom of migraine is an unbearable headache, which can be accompanied by nausea, vomiting, intolerance to light and sound, and every movement of the patient can aggravate his condition.
Specifics of migraine in women: special project
Darnytsia’s special project in Divoche.Media tells more about the peculiarities of migraine in women, pharmacological and non-pharmacological methods of treatment, as well as the stories of famous women - thought influencers suffering from migraines. Also, on the platform, you can complete a questionnaire for migraine screening, which will allow you to assess if it is a migraine or a case of a headache.****
All over the world, migraine is associated with significant stigma, especially among women. In Ukraine, where historically women bear a lot of responsibility both in the family and outside it, the situation is even worse. The goal of our project is to raise awareness of this neurological disease, encouraging women with migraines to seek help in time and society - to better understand the problems of people with headaches.
* BBC Future investigates for our new series the Health Gap By Jennifer Billock // https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20180518-the-inequality-in-how-women-are-treated-for-pain
** Closing the gender gap in migraine research by Michael Eisenstein // https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-02867-4
*** Headache disorders, WHO, 2016 // https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/headache-disorders
****This questionnaire is only a screening tool that can only indicate the nature of headaches and is not intended for self-diagnosis. An accurate diagnosis can only be established by a doctor. Lipton RB et al. Neurology.
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The above information is intended exclusively for distribution in specialized publications intended for medical institutions and doctors, as well as at conferences and seminars on medical topics.