International Women’s Day was on March 8, and it is worth reflecting not only on how far women have come, but on the inequities that persist in places where fairness should be nonnegotiable. Health care is one of them.

For decades, women were not adequately represented in medical research. Until 1993, women were excluded from clinical trials and the consequences have been profound. Women experience adverse drug reactions at roughly twice the rate of men. It was not until 1999, when the American Heart Association published its “Guide to Preventive Cardiology for Women,” that the medical community formally recognized that women experience different heart disease symptoms, despite heart disease having long been the leading cause of death in the U.S. for both.

Compounding these disparities is what’s often described as the “pink tax” in health care. Women frequently shoulder higher out-of-pocket costs for routine medical needs. On average, women spend nearly 30 percent more out of pocket on prescription medications than men do, amounting to an additional $8.5 billion in 2024 alone. At the same time, women are 35 percent more likely to skip medical care because of cost, access barriers and unsatisfactory interactions with providers.

When women have negative experiences within the health care system, whether it is feeling dismissed, unheard or misdiagnosed, it can erode trust in medical institutions. 

This is why strengthening trust through respectful care and transparent, evidence-based care is not just good practice; it is essential to prevent putting women’s health at greater risk. Studies suggest women shoulder an estimated 80 percent of the family’s medical decision-making responsibilities. As “chief medical officers” of their families, women schedule appointments, research symptoms, monitor medications and make decisions that affect children, spouses and aging parents. When bad information clouds the public conversation, it does not just affect individual women. It ripples across entire households.

International Women’s Day should be more than a celebration. It should be a call to action. We must demand transparent science, equitable research and public health communication rooted in facts rather than fear. Women deserve a health care system that listens, respects and protects them.

Jennifer Riley is the statewide executive director of Patients Come First Pennsylvania and is spearheading its mission of ensuring Pennsylvania’s patients receive timely access to innovative health care. Readers can  follow the effort on Facebook and X @PatientsFirstPA, and visit the website for more information at www.patientscomefirst.com.