The Inquiry into Women's Pain report

A woman is sitting down, looking into the distance rather than at the camera. She begins to speak as sombre music plays in the background.

Speaker one: So, I'd feel like in the upper abdomen sort of pain, and then it would go up to my shoulder blades and I literally felt like I was having a heart attack.

Cut to a woman’s hands sitting in her lap. A second speaker starts speaking.

Speaker two: I felt absolutely exhausted all the time, mentally, physically, trying to get a diagnosis.

Cut to a woman who is sitting down and starring directly into the camera with a straight expression. A third speaker starts speaking.

Speaker three: Too complex is the story I get told all the time. They've told me they can't find out what's wrong with me. It must all be in my head.

Text appears on screen over a women’s face that reads: “Women generally experience more severe and longer-lasting pain than men.”

Text appears on screen over a woman’s face that reads: “But they are less likely to receive treatment.”

Cut to a woman sitting down and not looking to the camera. She starts speaking.

Speaker one: Like having one doctor say there's nothing I can do and then going to see another one just to do the same thing, I don't think I could have done that over and over again.

Cut to a woman’s hands sitting in her lap. A fourth speaker starts speaking with sombre music still playing in the background.

Speaker four: When you have young women and they've perhaps watched their mum having debilitating pain for years and years, they have learned that that might be what their reality is and that can be really scary.

Cut to a woman looking directly at the camera with a straight expression on her face. She starts speaking with sombre music still playing in the background.

Speaker two: There were times where I thought, you know, I'm not going to make it.

Cut to a woman directly looking at the camera with a straight expression on her face. Speaker two is still speaking with sombre music playing in the background.

Speaker two: Being told that's just normal pain.

Cut to a woman directly looking at the camera with a straight expression. She starts speaking with sombre music still playing in the background.

Speaker one: I feel the injustice of it fiercely.

Cut to a black screen with white text that reads: “Bridging the gap in women’s healthcare.”

Text disappears and the Victorian State Government logo with the Department of Health lock-up appears on screen.

[End of transcript]