Would you think women are treated differently than men by doctors and other workers in the healthcare system? If that’s true, how would that affect patients? Our Lean to the Left podcast guest today, Lynn Forney, has first-hand experience with that, and it almost cost her life.
On the podcast, Lynn says such bias is more common than you might think. In her case, after being stabbed in bed seven times by a stranger and losing 21 pints of blood, she says she suffered even more trauma after going to the hospital in critical condition.
There, some of the people who were supposed to help her recover, both mentally and physically, betrayed her – including a male nurse who we’ll talk about in a minute. "They didn't believe me because I'm a woman," she says in our interview.
Lynn is the author of a new book, “Choosing Survival,” which describes her attack, the PTSD she suffered, and the mistreatment she endured in the hospital. Unfortunately, we find that the gender bias she experienced – simply because she is a woman – is all too common.
The book is candid and emotional as Lynn reveals how the City of Boca Raton, Florida’s, police covered up violent crimes like what occurred to her… just to protect the city’s glitzy reputation.
But, even worse was how Lynn was treated by those who were supposed to protect and serve vulnerable victims like her. Unfortunately, this story is all too relatable for women who have experienced sexual assault and rape.
Some questions we asked Lynn:
Q. Start at the beginning. You were what, 19? What happened?
Q. You’re from Texas. Why were you in Boca Raton?
Q. So you were stabbed in bed by a stranger in your mother’s house?
Q. How were you treated by the police?
Q. How did healthcare workers and other systems fail you before and after your attack?
Q. What happened in the hospital? The male nurse who wanted to show you about sex?
Q. Why do you think they blamed you, or did not trust you?
Q. How do you confront victim blaming and shaming?
Q. How common is gender bias and shaming in healthcare? Studies have shown that doctors view men and women with chronic pain differently, right?
Q. What can be the end result of healthcare gender bias when it comes to diagnosing and treating patients? Can appropriate treatment be delayed…or even denied…for example?
Q. You graduated from the University of Florida with a bachelor of fine arts degree. You’ve been a dancer and actor, right?
Q. How did the attack and your subsequent treatment affect your life and your career?
Q. What are your plans going forward?
Q. Where can people buy your book?
Listen to the podcast:
Watch the interview: https://youtu.be/5pJKEBwR5nU