We often hear of anti-Black police brutality, but what about anti-Black brutality in another field that we’re supposed to trust to keep us safe? Some have said that doctors are to Black women as police are to Black men. By discussing anti-Black implicit bias and disparities in prenatal/maternal care his article, this article, written by Alexa Mendez, will dive into why that is. Anti-Black sentiment and discrimination unfortunately run rampant in the US, as well as the rest of the Western world. Especially in systems that are supposed to protect the people, Black people have often lost trust in them due to implicit bias and therefore discrimination on the part of professionals. The most commonly known field in which this occurs is the policing and criminal justice system. But, systemic anti-Black discrimination is prevalent in another, more concerning field meant to protect us: the medical care system. Particularly, Black birthing people face immense discrimination and neglect from OB-GYNs. In a CDC report from 2020, it was stated that Black women were 3.3 times more likely than white women to die from pregnancy-related complications. The CDC also stated that the majority of these deaths are preventable, and would be prevented with systemic policy change and examination of implicit bias in physicians. Tejumola Adegoke, a Boston University School of Medicine OB-GYN instructor says “The recent data is really showing us that we can’t deny the effects of institutionalized and systemic racism on the outcomes our patients face.” Modern-day systemic discrimination and an ugly history of overtly anti-Black medical procedures in the slavery era of the United States (for example, non-consensual operation on Black people without the use of anesthesia since Black people were believed not to feel pain), is a key factor in this adverse racial disparity. “It’s very hard to disentangle from the fact that many Black women live in food deserts and in unsafe neighborhoods. If we look at income disparity, it stands to reason that women of color may be less able to afford fresh produce or a gym [membership] and to do all the things we encourage people to do to maintain a healthy lifestyle,” she says [1]. As Adegoke states, many racial disparities in healthcare are also symptoms of staggering economic inequality between races. Under our current capitalist system, economic inequality drives inequality in all other areas: medical care, health and fitness, education, housing, voting, the list goes on. Specifically in the case of medical care, reduced income can lead to lack of insurance, lack of access to quality care, and inability to pay for necessary procedures, medications, or other items out-of-pocket. Also according to the CDC, conditions like weakened heart muscle, thrombotic pulmonary embolism (which is what tennis star Serena Williams suffered from after giving birth), and high blood pressure are the main causes of pregnancy-related deaths that differ among Black women than among white women [1], [2]. The prevalence of cardiovascular conditions in Black women can be attributed again to the economic disparities the Black community faces. Due to poverty, junk food is what’s cheapest and most available. Most poor Black families do not have the money to buy fresh produce, or may live in a neighborhood where it is not available to them. Such neighborhoods may also lack health-related programs and institutions such as gyms, as Adegoke summarized in her statement regarding racial disparities. The CDC suggests improvements mainly on the healthcare providers’ end to better assist their patients and hopefully close and eventually eliminate this gruesome disparity. They identify goals and objectives for every part of the healthcare process, namely the provider, the hospital or healthcare facility, local or state governments and communities, and the mothers themselves, as well as their families. The full resource list can be found at the following link [2]. The New York Times has also created a racially-conscious plan for Black birthing people and their healthcare providers which can be accessed at this link [3]. Works Cited: Boston University. “Eliminating Racial Disparities in Maternal Health.” Boston University, 3 July 2020, www.bu.edu/articles/2019/racial-disparities-in-maternal-health. Centers for Disease Control. “Improving Pregnancy Outcomes for African American Women.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 14 Apr. 2021, www.cdc.gov/healthequity/features/pregnancy-outcomes/index.html. Chidi, Erica, and Erica Cahill. “Protecting Your Birth: A Guide for Black Mothers.” The New York Times, 22 Oct. 2020, www.nytimes.com/article/black-mothers-birth.html. Petersen, Emily, et al. “Racial/Ethnic Disparities in Pregnancy-Related Deaths ...” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 5 Sept. 2019, www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/68/wr/mm6835a3.htm.
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Welcome to our blog, Medquity!Here we will post extra articles on health disparities to display the profound health inequities in our healthcare system. These are updated every other weekend, so check back regularly! Archives
July 2021
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