Briones-Vozmediano, Erica, Espinar-Ruiz, Eva · Disability and rehabilitation · 2021 · DOI
This study interviewed 22 Spanish women with Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS) to understand their experiences with doctors and the healthcare system. The women reported two major problems: they cannot avoid exposure to chemicals in their environment, and they struggle to find effective treatment. Many also felt that healthcare providers didn't believe their illness was real or took their symptoms seriously.
Although this study focuses on MCS, it directly parallels ME/CFS as both are classified as contested illnesses where patients face widespread medical skepticism and diagnostic delays. The findings highlight systemic barriers to recognition that ME/CFS patients also experience, and recommendations for healthcare provider training and protocol development are equally applicable to improving care for ME/CFS patients.
This qualitative study does not establish the biological mechanisms underlying MCS or prove causation between chemical exposure and symptom development. It describes patient experiences rather than objectively measuring disease severity, exposure levels, or treatment outcomes. The findings reflect Spanish healthcare contexts and may not generalize to other regions or healthcare systems.
About the PEM badge: “PEM required” means post-exertional malaise was an explicit required diagnostic criterion for participant inclusion in this study — not that PEM was studied, observed, or discussed. Studies using criteria that do not require PEM (e.g. Fukuda, Oxford) are tagged “PEM not required”. How the atlas works →
The first block is for the primary paper and is the citation you should use in research work. The atlas-snapshot line only applies if you are specifically referring to this atlas’s reading of the paper on the date shown.
Primary citation
Briones-Vozmediano, Erica & Espinar-Ruiz, Eva (2021). How do women suffering from multiple chemical sensitivity experience the medical encounter? a qualitative study in Spain.. Disability and rehabilitation. https://doi.org/10.1080/09638288.2019.1650297
BibTeX
@article{mecfsatlas-briones-vozmediano-2021-how-women,
author = {Briones-Vozmediano, Erica and Espinar-Ruiz, Eva},
title = {How do women suffering from multiple chemical sensitivity experience the medical encounter? a qualitative study in Spain.},
journal = {Disability and rehabilitation},
year = {2021},
doi = {10.1080/09638288.2019.1650297},
note = {PubMed: 31407924},
url = {https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/briones-vozmediano-2021-how-women},
}Atlas snapshot reference
ME/CFS Atlas. Generator v1 / Scanner v1.4 / policy v0.1. Accessed 2026-05-28. https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/briones-vozmediano-2021-how-women
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