Striking a Balance as a Woman Patient

Women patients sometimes find themselves having to strike a delicate balance of complaining just enough to be taken seriously without appearing too demanding. There is a societal tendency to underestimate women's pain compared to men's, and black women specifically often have their pain ignored regardless of their approach. The speaker has experienced feeling the need to be excessively submissive after advocating for herself as a patient, to navigate the perception of being an unruly or entitled woman in healthcare settings.