The Year of Listening: What Women Told Us in 2025

2025 has come to a close, and 2026 is here. 

Through She’s Not Dramatic, 2025 was the year we stopped whispering. So many brave, thoughtful women shared what it is like to walk into an exam room seeking answers, and to walk out with dismissal, doubt, and silence. 

Their pain was minimized as “normal,” their symptoms brushed off as stress,” their concerns labeled as “dramatic.” 

Yet, in their stories, the truth became clear: women’s pain, and dismissal of women’s experience isn’t rare, it’s our routine. 

Over and over, the same themes were echoed through the research, the messages, the videos, and the DMs.  Nearly 67% of women in a recent study said they lacked a clear diagnosis, and felt dismissed by their healthcare providers. 

Among women ages 18 to 35, 46% reported a negative experience with a provider in the past two years. 

Nicole, Lupe, and Brynn courageously got on camera to share their stories. Their experience being told that what they were feeling was “normal for women,” that they should “feel lucky,” to be alive after cancer treatments, or that they were “just stressed.” They shared their stories of self-doubt, feeling alone, and feeling misunderstood. 

Every story shared became a part of the “She’s Not Dramatic” campaign. We heard from you directly that hearing other women’s stories not only validated your experience, but empowered you to push for change. 

But, this isn’t only about the patient experience. It’s about changing the system. Providers reached out, too, letting us know they were listening differently now. 

This is a movement. A movement not grounded in shame, but in truth. A movement that says, loudly and proudly, that She is not being dramatic, she’s being dismissed. 

This movement matters. When pain is dismissed, diagnoses are delayed. 

When symptoms are minimized, care is compromised. 

When voices are silenced, healing stalls. 

In 2026, the listening won't stop. The SHE+ Foundation will continue to act. 

• We will Supply Research Funding in our 2026 Grant Cycle to support studies on conditions most often dismissed, from chronic pelvic pain to endometriosis. 

• We will Continue to Build Tools & Education for providers and patients alike, so that what is common, doesn’t mean what is ignored. Training, resources, and patient-centered care should be the norm, not the exception. 

• We will Empower Patients and Advocates, giving women the tools to document symptoms, prepare for appointments, and speak their truth. 

Listening isn’t the end of the story. It’s where the change continues.