Yentl Syndrome: The Urgent Need to Listen to Women in Healthcare
Barbara Streisand and Mandy Patinkin in the film, Yentl (1983). Credit: Rotten Tomatoes
In the 1983 film ‘Yentl’, Barbra Streisand plays a young woman in Eastern Europe who, desperate to pursue an education, disguises herself as a man to gain access to opportunities denied to her. The film’s narrative is a powerful metaphor for the lengths women have historically gone to be heard, understood, and taken seriously in a world designed for men. Decades later, the term "Yentl Syndrome" has been used in the medical field.1 This describes the tendency for women’s health concerns to be taken seriously only when they present in ways that resemble men’s experiences.1
Yentl Syndrome is not just a theoretical concept. It represents a lived reality for countless women who have been misdiagnosed, under-diagnosed, or dismissed entirely by a healthcare system that often fails to recognise the unique ways women experience illness. This issue is particularly prevalent in cardiovascular care. Studies have shown that women are significantly less likely to receive timely and aggressive treatment for heart disease compared to men.2 This is despite it being the leading cause of death among women in the UK and worldwide.3 Women are also more likely to die following a heart attack than men.4 Women’s symptoms of a heart attack can differ from the “classic” symptoms (e.g. crushing chest pain) that are more common in men.5 This is often overlooked. Instead, women might experience shortness of breath, fatigue, nausea, or pain in the back, jaw, or arms. These symptoms can be dismissed as anxiety or indigestion.5 This can lead to delayed treatment, misdiagnosed and, consequently, worse outcomes.
This gender disparity in healthcare is not limited to heart disease. Women across the board face challenges in receiving appropriate care for conditions. This ranges from autoimmune disorders to mental health issues, which often manifest differently in women than in men. For instance, conditions like endometriosis—a painful disorder where tissue similar to the lining inside the uterus grows outside of it—take an average of seven to eight years to diagnose.6 This delay is partly due to the normalisation of severe menstrual pain, which is too often dismissed by healthcare providers as "just part of being a woman."7,8
The consequences of this systemic bias are profound and far-reaching. Women are forced to navigate a healthcare landscape where they must advocate fiercely for their own needs, often in the face of scepticism or outright dismissal. This adds an additional burden on women, particularly those from marginalised communities, who may already face barriers to accessing care.
The solution to Yentl Syndrome and the broader issue of gender inequality in healthcare is multifaceted, but it begins with a simple, powerful act: listening to women. Healthcare professionals must be trained to recognise and respect the ways in which women’s symptoms and experiences can differ from men’s. This means not only listening to what women say but also questioning assumptions and biases that may influence diagnosis and treatment. For example, when a woman presents with “atypical” symptoms of a heart attack, her symptoms should be investigated as thoroughly as they would be for a man presenting with "classic" symptoms. In fact, the British Medical Journal say that even using the term “atypical” ‘may lead to the under-appreciation of risk associated with this presentation.’9
Black women are also 3-4 times more likely to die during childbirth.10 Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting adds further complications to childbirth and disproportionately affects Black and Brown women. Our One Question Campaign, which demands that every woman is asked the question - ‘Have you ever been subjected to FGM/C?‘ - acts as a massive step to ensure no woman is left behind and that survivors are provided with the support they deserve. The Vavengers also demand holistic healthcare for survivors of FGM/C covered by our NHS, including reconstructive surgery for survivors who live with nerve damage and specialised mental health care at FGM/C clinics.
Organisations like The Vavengers are at the forefront of this movement, advocating for women’s voices to be heard in all walks of life. Through advocacy, we work to amplify the voices of women who have been silenced or marginalised, calling for systemic changes that prioritise women’s health and well-being. For example, there is a big education gap for healthcare professionals to recognise the signs of FGM/C as, on average, a medical professional receives around 3 minutes on what FGM/C is throughout their medical education.
The work of The Vavengers is a reminder that real change comes from listening to those who have been overlooked and advocating for their needs. When women are heard, questioned, and respected in healthcare settings, we move closer to a world where Yentl Syndrome is a thing of the past. This shift requires an effort from all of us—patients, healthcare providers, and advocates alike—to ensure that women receive the care they deserve. Women need to be heard, not just as patients, but as equal partners in their own care. They need to be questioned, not out of doubt, but out of a genuine desire to understand their unique experiences. Only then can we begin to dismantle the systemic biases that have silenced women for far too long.
This article was inspired by a section from the book: Invisible Women: Data Bias in a World Designed for Men
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References
Merz CN. The Yentl syndrome is alive and well. European heart journal. 2011 Jun 1;32(11):1313-5.
Lunova T, Komorovsky R, Klishch I. Gender differences in treatment delays, management and mortality among patients with acute coronary syndrome: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Current Cardiology Reviews. 2023 Jan 1;19(1).
Woodward M. Cardiovascular disease and the female disadvantage. International journal of environmental research and public health. 2019 Apr;16(7):1165.
Vaccarino V, Parsons L, Every NR, Barron HV, Krumholz HM. Sex-based differences in early mortality after myocardial infarction. New England journal of medicine. 1999 Jul 22;341(4):217-25.
Arora G, Bittner V. Chest pain characteristics and gender in the early diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction. Current cardiology reports. 2015 Feb;17:1-5.
Barbieri RL. Why are there delays in the diagnosis of endometriosis. OBG Manag. 2017 Mar;29(3):8-10.
Hawkey A, Chalmers KJ, Micheal S, Diezel H, Armour M. “A day-to-day struggle”: A comparative qualitative study on experiences of women with endometriosis and chronic pelvic pain. Feminism & psychology. 2022 Nov;32(4):482-500.
Vafapour P, Murray E. Exploring the lived experiences of debilitating period pain management in the UK. British Journal of Pain. 2023 Aug;17(4):408-19.
Khamis RY, Ammari T, Mikhail GW. Gender differences in coronary heart disease. Heart. 2016 Jul 15;102(14):1142-9.
Gillette‐Pierce KT, Richards‐McDonald L, Arscott J, Josiah N, Duroseau B, Jacques K, Wilson PR, Baptiste D. Factors influencing intrapartum health outcomes among Black birthing persons: A discursive paper. Journal of advanced nursing. 2023 May;79(5):1735-44.
