Why are women with Fibromyalgia so stigmatized?

Abstract

Introduction Many female pain sufferers with medically unexplained pain are at risk of being stigmatized in our Western society. Fibromyalgia is offered as the exemplar condition.

Aim To understand why these women are being stigmatized.

Methods A review of the recent literature was conducted with a focus on the perceptions of women with a diagnosis of fibromyalgia who have been stigmatized.

Results Three intertwined themes emerged as contributing to their stigmatization: moralizing attitudes, disbelief as to the reality of pain, and pain’s invisibility.

Conclusion Given how embedded the factors responsible for the stigmatization of women with fibromyalgia in Western society are, the realistic prospects for addressing this issue are poor.