The differences experienced in healthcare utilization and health outcomes for Black women vs. any other race are at a large disparity due to medical racism and socioeconomic barriers that persist. Black women face a distinct disadvantage of employer-based healthcare in the U.S. because, they are more likely to receive lower wages than White women while being the highest educated in the country. Also, Black women are more likely to work part time, with interruptions in work history due to limited access to child care while working (Shi pg. 434). In contrast, Black women are playing an increasingly important role in the delivery of healthcare. Not only do they remain the leading providers of care in nursing practitioners, but they are also well represented in various other health professions including allopathic and osteopathic, medicine dentistry, podiatry, and optometry. But still Black women in the U.S. can expect to suffer greater morbidity and poorer health outcomes in comparison to White women.
For example, 38% of Black women report having chronic conditions that require ongoing medical intervention in comparison to White women. Morbidity is greater among Black women especially after childbearing related conditions that are often factored out. For example, at least 58% of Black have a greater change of experiencing mortality during child birth in comparison to any other race. Many examples of this include health providers not believing that Black women are in the pain that they express during child birth and biasness experienced during prenatal care.
Even certain disorders affect more Black women during the early stages of life than any other race. Such as eating disorders (e.g. anorexia, nervosa, and bulimia). Eating disorders are a large contributing factor in underlying health conditions. In addition, to the differences experienced in health utilization and health outcomes between Black women and White women, there are large disparities among race, ethnicity, income, and education. For example, lower class Black women have less access to healthcare thus leaving them with poorer outcomes and a much higher morbidity rate than those of lower class White women.
Black women also have a higher prevalence of certain health problems than any other race over the course of their lifetime. For example, Black women have a higher risk of heart disease and stroke that results in death by 42% in contrast of White women by 24% due to soci-economic barriers, such as limited access to health and nutrition, wealth gaps which inhibits the ability to afford and access better care. Not only morbidity plays a big role in poor health outcomes among Black women but, the differences between White women and Black women are equally profound regarding Mental Health. For example, anxiety disorders and depression affect two to three times as many Black women in compared to White women. In fact, clinical depression is a major health problem for both White women and Black women but, 4% of Black women compared to 2% of White women experience depression during 2006-2008 (CDC 2010b). Black women identify with two oppressive identifies that is subversive to their daily lives. As often as this is misunderstood there are still post slavery ideologies laws, policies, and wealth gaps that place Black women at a server disadvantage. Other examples, include work place discrimination.
Additional limitations on access to healthcare persist for Black women they also place a greater reliance on Medicaid for their health care coverage (Shi pg. 434). This leaves Black women venerable to obtaining proper healthcare and delay seeking care in comparison to White women. “According to the 2017 Health in the United States Report, %88 of Black women had at least one visit to a health care provider in the previous year in comparison to White women” (Shi pg. 434). The major causes of death and disability among Black women are heart diseases, child birth, cancer, and osteoporosis. A groundbreaking study conducted by the Black women’s Health Initiative found that there is an increased rate of post-menopausal hormone therapy on Black women’s develop invasive breast cancer, coronary heart disease stroke.
Projections suggest that people of color will represent most of the U.S. population by 2050, and yet significant racial and ethnic disparities persist in women’s health and health care. Although socioeconomic status accounts for some of these disparities, factors at the patient, practitioner, and health care system levels contribute to existing and evolving disparities in women’s health outcomes. Health conditions commonly encountered by obstetrician–gynecologists are no exception. It is important to distinguish between disparities in health conditions and outcomes (eg, presence of uterine fibroids or maternal mortality) and disparities in health care services (eg, receipt of early prenatal care or mammography). Both occur, but in many instances they require different solutions; thus, it is critical that obstetrician–gynecologists be aware of each category, have resources to improve their understanding of the etiologies of such disparities, and engage in strategies to decrease them. In addition, clinical and administrative data collection should, at a minimum, follow federal standards for race and ethnicity to improve the quality of such data and their use in describing disparities
As this disproportionate rate and concern of the Black women’s health rise so does the need to provide solutions. The public health services office on Black Women’s Health (OWH) is dedicated to the achieve a series of goals that promote coordinates and a comprehensive Black women’s health agenda on research serves deliver and education accords many government agencies. The OWN is also responsible for the National Action Plan on Breast Cancer (NAPBC). A major public-private partnership dedicates to improving treatment and diagnoses and prevention of breast cancer for Black women through research. The OWH also works to measures to prevent physical and sexual abuse against Black women where law enforcement has failed them.
As health care reform rolls out, there is a growing focus on restructuring the health service delivery system in the hope of improving health care quality. In healthcare, it is vital that we place preventative measures for the venerable population such as Black women. It is important that Black women are well informed about their healthcare, have access to unbiased care, and mitigate all possible risk. While Black women are placed at higher risk for poorer health outcomes, the current structure of healthcare creates some barriers for accessing proper healthcare. However, organizations such as the OWN, NAPBC can aid in educating and facilitating better access and information on Black women’s health.
Reducing racial and ethnic disparities in health and health care should be a priority for all healthcare professionals especially by
- Checking implicit biases.
- Understanding the role that practitioner bias can play in health outcomes and health care
- Promoting research that not only identifies structural and cultural barriers to care but also tests the effectiveness of interventions to address such barriers
- Educating medical staff and patients in a culturally sensitive manner about steps they can take to prevent disease conditions that are prevalent in their racial and ethnic groups.
- Connecting patients with providers who share their same cultural background.
Black women contribute so much to this world and to others it’s time to protect them, harness their strength and fix their crown. “OurHealth, OurWay”
Reference: Shi, Leiyu. Delivering Healthcare in American; A Systems Approach. 6th ed. USA: Michael Brown, 2015. Print.
Home | OurHeatlh,LLC 