The Necessity of Cultural Awareness in Healthcare Providers to Reduce Diagnostic Delays in Reproductive Health for West Asian Immigrant Women

Diyari Bekhtyar, Tomoko Y. Steen
In: Georgetown Medical Review · 2026 · vol. 10(1) · doi:10.52504/001c.162641 · W7164121096
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Abstract

Women’s health is one of the most underfunded and under-researched areas of medicine, with minority health being an even smaller subsection receiving little funding and research. Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) affects more than 10% of women globally; however, 70% of women with PCOS remain undiagnosed. Even more concerning is that for many girls and women across the globe, access to women’s healthcare remains a privilege and is inaccessible to many. This article explores how diagnostic delays occur for West Asian immigrant women in the United States who have endometriosis and/or PCOS. In studies about women’s health experiences across Western Asia, the reality is even worse for women living there. We discuss how fear of stigma often impacts women’s ability to seek healthcare in the United States. However, healthcare providers can adopt a more empathetic lens to acknowledge patients’ fear of stigma and provide reassurance and support (instead of bias and projections of their own beliefs) by adopting a shift in mindset to include cultural awareness to address a wider and diverse patient population. By prioritizing cultural awareness, healthcare providers must acknowledge the societal reasons for diagnostic delays for this patient population and work toward reducing that risk. This ensures not only that immigrant health is taken seriously and adequately addressed but also that patients with reproductive conditions like PCOS and endometriosis feel safe enough to seek a diagnosis for conditions that worsen when diagnosis is delayed.

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