How To Find Healthcare Providers As a Black Woman

I’d definitely like to begin this post by explaining how disappointing it is to even feel the need to write this article. However, the world we live in seems to undervalue the health and safety of Black Women. While reform is currently in the works, it still a very prominent and concerning issue. In this post I will be discussing the inequities in healthcare that Black Women face, and resources to help you find the best care possible in your area:

History:

African American’s health and safety have consistently been undervalued under the current medical infrastructure. The history of this divide begins early on in American history during slavery. In an article published by History, it explains how the “Father of Modern Day Gynecology,” James Marion Sims, operated on and used Black Women as test objects to develop his renounced research. Sims conducted cruel and unethical research on Black Women without the usage of any anesthesia because he practiced under the racist notion that Black people do not feel pain. There are reports of the women who endured his procedures crying out in pain, although nothing was done to relieve their pain.

Later on in history there was the administration of the Tuskegee Experiments, which unethically targeted Black Men to study the progression of Syphilis. The participants of the study gave consent under the notion of free healthcare, but were misinformed on what exactly would be happening to them. They were all told that they would be treated for a commonly referred to ailment called “bad blood” which meant a variety of symptoms. The men were then given placebo treatments and were monitored by physicians to study the progression of their untreated Syphilis symptoms.

Today’s Concerns:

In modern-day medicine, Black Women still face major health inequities. According to the U.S Department of Health and Human Resources, Black and Hispanic individuals receive worse care on several of the department’s quality indicators. Furthermore, recent studies conducted showed that there are white medical students that believe that Black people do not feel as much pain as their white counterparts. Many of the students attributed this to African American people have fewer nerve endings This has lead to the mistreatment of pain for Black patients.

With both Black people being historically mistreated in American Healthcare and their pain not being adequately assessed, it is increasingly important for Black Americans to find culturally competent clinicians to treat their needs. Especially with the historical implications that have passed down throughout history, it is important that Black individuals protect themselves from becoming another statistic, or negative historical reference. Below I have listed some strategies and resources to help Black Women find adequate healthcare providers:

Health in Her Hue

By far your best resource. The developers were dedicated to making this comprehensive guide to find competent physicians and it a resource that I myself have used to find care. While the app is still in development, there is an online resource that you can visit by clicking here. All that you have to do is give the resource your email and verify you email address. I would also recommend that you follow their social media accounts as I do to stay updated on the latest developments and news regarding Black Women’s health.

BlackDoctors.Org

Other than the amazingness that Health In Her Hue is, you can also find excellent care using BlackDoctor.org. This resource offers a search engine where you can find black doctors in your area for your specific needs. This resource is great for all black individuals as it is not limited to black female doctors, but rather both black female and male physicians. You can visit this resource here.

I hope this small guide helped you in your journey to find effective, competent healthcare. I have always had a passion for healthcare and the inequities that women, black women, and black men face. The best way to prevent yourself from falling victim to the broken system is to educate yourself on the issues and work to find the best resources possible. Hopefully, this served as an excellent first step to helping your concerns, or it provided you with information regarding resources that are available. Good luck on your journey to finding excellent healthcare!