By Terri Huggins, Illustration: iStock/Washington Post Illustration, The Lily, January 4, 2022
When it comes to taking care of their health, Black women in the United States have a lot working against them, according to research. They are three times as likely to die of a pregnancy-related cause as White women. They have thehighest rate of obesity in comparison to other groups, and they experience higher rates of discrimination, which is a stressor related to poor physical and mental health.
What’s more, many Black women face barriers in the medical system. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, people of color are more likely to be uninsured than their White counterparts. When they receive care, they are more likely to be dismissed and mistreated, and less likely to be referred to specialty care when necessary, studies have found.
While more health-care facilities have been implementing implicit bias and racial education training, it will take a lot to overhaul the entire system, experts say. That’s why, for many Black women, it’s important to know how to advocate for their own health.
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