When Karen was asked to rate her pain on a scale of 1-10 after surgery, she gave it a 12. Instead of adjusting her pain medication, the hospital offered paperwork. To get the care she needed & overcome the gender pain gap, Karen became her own advocate.
"There is the perception of the big, strong male who says he's in pain being taken more seriously by healthcare professionals and therefore acted upon [rather] than the weak little woman in the corner who is complaining about pain, and she's just had major surgery as well. She's often thought of as weak and not being able to tolerate pain or overstating her pain level.
According to Allison-Ottey, the change in treatment between Black women and white women can sometimes be understood by implicit bias. It may not be that a doctor or healthcare provider is racist, but they're surrounded by the stigma of the Black patient coming into the emergency room with drug-seeking behavior.
If she were to advise other women, Finney said she would tell them to talk to their doctors and anesthesiologist and create a plan for pain management before heading into surgery. If possible, she says, it's best to bring someone with you who can understand the plan and advocate for you because it can be difficult, and sometimes impossible, to advocate for yourself when you've just undergone surgery. And, she said, don't be afraid to use your voice.
"Remember it is your right to ask as many questions as you need because you deserve to feel comfortable with the plan," Finney said."I think sometimes any of us can get intimidated and think the doctors and nurses know best. It's your right to ask questions. It's their job to answer those questions."
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