When I hit the wall with burnout, I learned the hard way that my health and my career were never two separate conversations. What happened in my body showed up in my calendar, my confidence, and my capacity to lead.
So, when Gallup and Pivotal released their new report, Women’s Health: Barriers to Care, Barriers to Opportunity, I read every page. Gallup surveyed 5,232 U.S. adults in July 2026, including 3,845 women, and the numbers confirm what so many women I coach have been telling me for years. Here’s what stood out, and why every leader should pay attention.
Women Are Pushing to Be Heard
According to Gallup, 51% of women report at least one negative experience with a healthcare provider in the past five years, compared with 39% of men. About one in three women say a provider minimized or dismissed their symptoms or pain (34%), or misdiagnosed them or couldn’t give a diagnosis (33%).
Three in 10 women say they had to push to be taken seriously or receive treatment. Among women ages 18 to 34, that number jumps to 40%.
The wait for answers is longer, too. Gallup found that 22% of women waited a year or more for a diagnosis, compared with 14% of men, and the gap holds even when women and men with the same type of condition are compared.
Think about what that costs. Every extra appointment is another meeting missed, another afternoon rescheduled, another round of explaining yourself to someone who may not believe you.
The Barriers Start Before the Waiting Room
One in three women (32%) skipped or delayed care in the past year because of cost, compared with 25% of men. Sixteen percent couldn’t find time because of family responsibilities, and 15% couldn’t take time off work.
Cost, caregiving, and rigid schedules. Those are workplace design problems as much as health problems, and leaders have real power to change them.
Health Is Shaping Women’s Careers
Here’s the finding that stopped me cold: 42% of women say their health has negatively affected their work or career in the past five years. Gallup reports that 29% felt they couldn’t live up to their potential at work, 23% saw fewer career options, and 21% felt a promotion, new job, or more responsibility wasn’t realistic.
Read that again. One in five women have quietly taken themselves out of the running for their next role.
Menopause makes the pattern crystal clear. Nearly three in four women ages 45 to 54 (74%) report current or past symptoms. Among women who have experienced menopause, 15% decided not to pursue a promotion or leadership position and 10% changed jobs. And 37% first learned about menopause symptoms only when they were living them.
That’s your leadership pipeline leaking at the exact moment women reach their peak.
Income deepens the divide. Women in households earning under $50,000 are about four times as likely as those earning $100,000 or more to leave the workforce or retire early because of their health (26% vs. 6%).
What Leaders Can Do Now
The good news? The public is ready. Gallup found that 52% of Americans say improving women’s health should be a high or top priority for businesses and employers. You have permission to act, so here’s where to start:
- Make flexibility real. Time for medical appointments shouldn’t carry a career penalty, spoken or unspoken.
- Normalize the menopause conversation. Educate managers before an employee needs support, not after.
- Audit your benefits. Look hard at out-of-pocket costs and caregiving support, since those are the top barriers women name.
- Notice the quiet opt-out. When a high performer passes on a stretch role, ask with care what support would change her answer.
What You Can Do for Yourself
- Advocate like it matters, because it does. Track your symptoms, bring your questions in writing, and ask for next steps before you leave.
- Seek a second opinion when you need one. Persistence is not being difficult.
- Tap your personal board of directors. A mentor or sponsor who knows your ambitions can help you protect them during a health challenge.
Wellbeing is a business advantage. When women get the care they need, they bring their best selves to work and home. You don’t have to choose one over the other.
Enjoy your career AND love your life!
Source: Gallup and Pivotal, “Women’s Health: Barriers to Care, Barriers to Opportunity” (2026), based on the Gallup-Pivotal Women’s Health Survey of 5,232 U.S. adults conducted July 14–22, 2026. Read Gallup’s summary at news.gallup.com.
Caroline Dowd-Higgins is an executive coach and a peak performance and workplace culture expert who speaks on how to reverse the devastating human and financial cost of burnout, so you can create a workplace where people can do their best work and live their best lives. Her best-selling book, “Your Career Advantage: Overcome Challenges to Achieve a Rewarding Work Life” is empowering people to enjoy their careers and love their lives. She has been named a Top Leadership Development Voice by LinkedIn and hosts the award winning podcast, Your Working Life with listeners in 72 countries. Follow her on Facebook, LinkedIn, and X.