Through the Looking Glass: Barriers to Medical Care for Women of Color//Zelda Fleming

Photo Credit: www.npr.org

Mental illnesses like depression, stress, and anxiety disproportionately affect more women then it does men (NIH, 2018). However, when looking at women of color, the number may be even higher, due to the adversity that many face on a daily basis. For example, women of color are three times more likely to suffer from postpartum depression (Center for American Progress). Despite this women of color are less likely than Caucasian women to receive treatment (John Hopkins Medical, 2018). This is often the case for both mental and physical health concerns.

Further mental health may be further exasperated by the failure to receive proper treatments for physical health concerns. This is often due to stereotypes, stigma, and barriers to accessing health care.  Women of color are more likely than white women not to be referred to adequate treatments. We see this often in the media when we look of the stories like that of Serena Williams, who almost died giving birth when the doctors ignored her concerns. We can also not forget Sharlon Irving who died of complications of hypertension after giving birth. Irving warned the doctors that she did not feel right after giving birth but was ignored. Sharlon Ivring was a well-educated black woman with multiple Ph.D.’s, good insurance, and substantive knowledge about the health industry and even she was not immune to inadequate treatment often given to women of color. I to have had my own healthcare concerns ignored by physicians only to later find out I was right to be worried. However, this phenomenon is also happening with mental health issues. Actresses like Jenifer Lewis and Demi Lovato have helped in the battle of increasing awareness on mental illness.

Furthermore, Serena’s story has increased awareness of the treatment of black women in the healthcare industry. However, there’s still more work to be done to improve the healthcare of all women. This includes reducing stigma and increasing cultural competency by having an open dialogue about access to healthcare even when it makes others uncomfortable. To improve health, in women of color we must not only reduce the stigma we must also eliminate the barriers that keep some women from receiving effective healthcare treatments.

https://www.npr.org/2017/12/07/568948782/black-mothers-keep-dying-after-giving-birth-shalon-irvings-story-explains-why (Link to Irving story)