October 1, 2024 | DateToThinkRare, Patient Impact, rare disease
Women have played a crucial role in rare disease awareness and better care, overcoming gender biases and systemic challenges to drive progress in this often-overlooked field.

Historically, women have been marginalised with their needs often being unmet as compared with men — a situation mirrored to a greater degree in the rare disease sector as compared with common conditions. This field grapples both with gender disparities and the broader challenge of gaining recognition for rare diseases within healthcare systems.
Women, who traditionally take on caregiving roles, have been at the forefront of rare disease advocacy. Empathy and strong communication skills make them effective as both caregivers and advocates. These roles are often assumed out of necessity when they notice symptoms in their children — a common situation as 70% of rare diseases first present in childhood.1 Women utilise various approaches to raise awareness, from kitchen table support groups to larger awareness campaigns to lobbying governments.
Women face additional delays due to
gender biases in the healthcare system.
You can read the full article here.
If you want to learn more about how Medscape Education is improving outcomes in rare diseases through education contact Christy Rohani-Montez.
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