When it comes to heart disease, your voice can be a powerful tool to guide the care you receive. For women—especially women of color—speaking up and advocating for themselves in health care settings is not just empowering, it can be life-saving.
At WomenHeart, we believe every woman deserves access to accurate, timely, and compassionate heart care. But we also know that systemic barriers and implicit bias often get in the way. That is why we champion the power of patient advocacy through our Treat Me Right campaign, our education tools, and our community of trained WomenHeart Champions—because when women advocate for themselves and for systemic change, they help drive better outcomes for all.
The Stakes Are High: Women Heart Disease
Heart disease is the number one killer of women in the United States, yet too often, women’s symptoms are dismissed or misdiagnosed. Research has shown that women—particularly Black and Latina women—are more likely to have their symptoms downplayed or misattributed to stress or anxiety. This delay in diagnosis or treatment can have serious consequences, especially in time-sensitive conditions like heart attacks, heart failure, or spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD).
These disparities are not just frustrating, they are dangerous. That is why patient advocacy is critical.
Treat Me Right: Advocating for Better Care
WomenHeart’s Treat Me Right campaign was launched to amplify the voices of women living with or at risk for heart disease. The campaign centers on a simple but powerful demand: to be heard, to be taken seriously, and to receive equitable, evidence-based care.
Treat Me Right raises awareness about the unique symptoms and experiences of women with heart disease, while also empowering women to recognize their right to speak up. Your lived experience matters — and your voice deserves a seat at the table when it comes to decisions about your care.
Equally important, Treat Me Right promotes the use of clinical guidelines and shared decision-making between patients and providers. The goal is not only to elevate women’s voices, but also to ensure that those voices are met with evidence-based practices, mutual respect, and a commitment to personalized care.
Tools for Self Advocacy: What Every Woman Should Know
To support women in these critical conversations, WomenHeart is releasing resources that help women learn more about misdiagnosis, clinical guidelines, and how to advocate for themselves in healthcare settings. You can check out our existing resources, like our self advocacy guide, in our Virtual Red Bags of Courage.
Some key tips for self-advocacy include:
- Prepare Ahead: Write down your symptoms, how often they occur, and any questions you have before your appointment. This ensures you do not forget key details in the moment.
- Bring a Support Person: If possible, bring someone you trust to your appointment who can advocate with you or take notes.
- Be Assertive, Not Apologetic: It is okay to ask your doctor to slow down, repeat information, or explain things in plain language. You deserve to understand your diagnosis and treatment options.
- Trust Your Instincts: If something feels wrong or you do not feel heard, seek a second opinion. It is not only your right—it is your responsibility to yourself.
These may seem like small steps, but they can make a big difference. We have heard from countless WomenHeart Champions who say they had to advocate firmly just to receive a proper diagnosis, but once they did, it changed the trajectory of their care.
The Role of Community
Advocating for yourself can be exhausting, especially when facing complex symptoms, a new diagnosis, or fear of not being taken seriously. That is why community matters.
WomenHeart’s network of Champions—women trained to share their stories and support others—is a lifeline for so many. Whether through support groups, peer mentoring, or advocacy training, WomenHeart fosters a sisterhood that reminds women they are not alone.
Being in community with others who have walked a similar path can give you the courage and clarity you need to raise your voice in the doctor’s office, or even in your local legislature.
The Power of Your Voice
Self-advocacy is not just about getting the care you need, it’s about shifting the culture of healthcare so that all women are seen, heard, and treated with respect.
When one woman speaks up, it creates space for others to do the same. When thousands do, it creates momentum for change.
At WomenHeart, we are proud to be part of that movement. Through Treat Me Right, our advocacy resources, and the powerful stories of our Champions, we are working every day to close the gaps in women’s heart health care.
Take the Next step
If you are living with or at risk for heart disease, know this: You have the right to be treated with dignity. You have the right to ask questions. You have the right to speak up.
Explore our resources to help you prepare for your next health care visit. And if you are ready to be part of a movement, consider becoming a WomenHeart Champion and using your voice to help others.
Because when you advocate for yourself, you are not just protecting your health, you are helping change the system for every woman who comes after you.
