Fourteen years after being diagnosed with endometriosis, Gabrielle Jackson couldn’t believe how little had changed in the treatment and knowledge of the disease. In 2015, her personal story kick-started a worldwide investigation into the disease by the Guardian; thousands of women got in touch to tell their own stories and many more read and shared the material. What began as one issue led Jackson to explore how women – historically and through to the present day – are under-served by the systems that should keep them happy, healthy and informed about their bodies.
Drawing from her own experiences with endometriosis and other chronic conditions, Jackson explores the systemic biases and gaps in medical understanding that affect the treatment of women’s pain. She highlights how pain conditions that predominantly affect women, like endometriosis, fibromyalgia, and chronic fatigue syndrome, have historically been dismissed or poorly understood by the medical community.
“Pain and Prejudice” is part personal narrative, part investigative journalism. Jackson combines her story with interviews, research, and analysis to paint a broader picture of how women’s health issues are treated in society and the medical field. She discusses the gender pain gap, where women’s pain is often taken less seriously than men’s, leading to misdiagnoses, inadequate treatment, and prolonged suffering.
The book also touches on the historical context of women’s health care, showing how longstanding biases and stereotypes have shaped attitudes and practices in medicine. Jackson argues for a more nuanced and equitable approach to women’s health, calling for better research, education, and understanding of women’s bodies and pain experiences.
“Pain and Prejudice” is a powerful and eye-opening read that sheds light on the challenges and frustrations faced by women seeking medical care for pain. It’s a call to action for changes in how the medical system approaches and treats women’s health.
