Skip to content

Hysterical Women

Health, sexism & hysteria

Home
About
Contact
Submissions
Sarah Graham

lichen sclerosus

‘Most doctors didn’t even look at me’: when misdiagnosis leads to cancer

February 6, 2019February 6, 2019 | Sarah Graham

Guest post by Clare Baumhauer

Continue reading →

Stop ovary-acting

Hysterical Women is a feminist blog founded by freelance health journalist Sarah Graham, to explore the sexism, paternalism, dismissal and disbelief surrounding women’s healthcare.

“Hysteria”, from the Greek word for uterus, hystera (ὑστέρα), was historically used to describe a range of emotional, mental, physical and sexual symptoms in women.

It’s no longer an accepted medical diagnosis, but the idea of ‘hysteria’ lives on. Often used interchangeably with ‘hormonal’, the word ‘hysterical’ is used to dismiss women as overly emotional or irrationally upset.

Ovary-acting, if you will.

But how much are our hormones really calling the shots, and how much is just plain old-fashioned sexism?

Contact

Email
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram

Newsletter sign-up

Subscribe to That Time Of The Month newsletter for monthly email updates from Hysterical Women.

* indicates required

Email Address *

First Name

Last Name

Support Hysterical Women

Hysterical Women is a passion project, funded out of my own pocket, produced in my spare time, and generating absolutely no profit. If you appreciate the work that I do, please consider supporting Hysterical Women for the price of a cup of coffee, which will help cover my time and web hosting costs.

Search for:

Sort by

#EndoMonth abortion Adenomyosis ADHD age alzheimers anorexia antidepressants anxiety appendicitis appendix asylum autism autoimmune baby loss bacterial vaginosis BAME blood disease BMI body image books Borderline Personality Disorder bowel cancer BPD breast cancer breastfeeding breast implants cervical cancer cervical ectropion cervix childbirth choice chronic fatigue syndrome chronic illness chronic pain colon cancer complex PTSD contraception COPD counselling crohn's disease cystitis depression detention disability domestic violence drugs eating disorder Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome emergency contraception endometriosis epilepsy events fat-shaming female genital mutilation feminism femtech fertility fibroids fibromyalgia gaslighting gender gender bias global health gynaecological cancer gynaecology heart health HIV hormone health hormones HPV HRT hysterectomy hysteria hysteroscopy implants incontinence infertility injury intersectionality interstitial cystitis invisible illness irritable bowel syndrome knee leukaemia LGBT lichen sclerosus lipoedema LLETZ Lyme disease maternal health maternal mental health medical research medication medicine menopause menstrual health mental health mental illness migraine miscarriage motherhood multiple sclerosis myalgic encephalomyelitis neurology NHS ovarian cancer ovarian cyst pain pelvic pain perimenopause perinatal mental halth period problems pituitary tumour pleural empyema pleurisy PMDD PMS pneumonia polycystic ovary syndrome postpartum psychosis postpartum thyroiditis POTS pregnancy premature ovarian failure prolapse psychosis PTSD pudendal neuralgia race reproductive health reproductive rights rheumatoid arthritis self-harm serotonin syndrome sex sexism sexual dysfunction sexual health smear test speculum stress suicide the pill trans trauma treatment uterine cancer uterine polyps vagina vaginal atrophy vaginal mesh vaginismus vulva vulval cancer vulval pain vulvodynia weight wellness women's health work Yarls Wood