Women dismissed by healthcare professionals are turning to AI and social media for health advice, report finds
New research highlights how pain dismissal is pushing women toward alternative health information sources - particularly among younger generations.
More than half of women in the UK say their pain has been ignored or dismissed by healthcare professionals - and many are now turning to AI tools, social media and other unverified online sources for answers instead.
New research from Nurofen found that 53% of women have experienced pain dismissal, rising to 73% among women aged 18–24. The findings come just weeks after the Government’s updated Women’s Health Strategy acknowledged the impact of medical misogyny.
In this new research, among women who said they had experienced dismissal, 46% reported becoming reluctant to seek help again, while 35% said it had damaged their trust in the medical system.
Instead, many are building alternative pathways to information. Three in four women who experienced dismissal said they sought advice from unverified sources, with 91% acting on the information they found. One in five said they had used AI tools such as ChatGPT for health information, while 35% said social media had made them question advice from their doctor.
The findings point to a broader shift in where women seek health support and validation - particularly as frustration with traditional healthcare pathways collides with the rise of AI-powered information tools, online communities and creator-led health content.
The trend appears especially pronounced among younger women. Nearly half of women aged 18–34 said they sought help online after feeling dismissed, compared to 19% of women over 65.
“The Gender Pain Gap is a long-standing equality issue affecting women and girls,” said Penny East.
“When more than half of British women continue to feel their pain is dismissed and millions are resorting to unverified sources for health advice, we’re seeing a systemic problem at play.”
East added that “having our pain minimised affects our wellbeing, our worth and our health outcomes.”
The report also highlights the role communication breakdowns can play in delayed diagnosis and treatment.
“A productive conversation between a patient and their doctor can be the single most important step on the path to diagnosis,” said Dr Bill Laughey.
“If, for whatever reason, the communication breaks down, women face delays in getting the answers they need.”
The data comes from Nurofen’s fourth annual Gender Pain Gap Index survey of 5,000 UK adults.
Alongside the report, Nurofen said it plans to train 10,000 pharmacists at Boots on recognising gender pain dismissal and expand access to its Pain Pass symptom-tracking tool, which is designed to help women communicate symptoms more clearly during appointments.