{"id":1847,"date":"2020-11-01T12:26:00","date_gmt":"2020-11-01T20:26:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/healthconsumer.org\/?p=1847"},"modified":"2024-04-03T13:47:42","modified_gmt":"2024-04-03T21:47:42","slug":"as-a-black-woman-i-had-to-beg-doctors-to-take-me-seriously-when-my-brain-was-leaking","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/healthconsumer.org\/es\/as-a-black-woman-i-had-to-beg-doctors-to-take-me-seriously-when-my-brain-was-leaking\/","title":{"rendered":"As a Black woman, I had to beg doctors to take me seriously when my brain was leaking"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\n

Studies have confirmed that many doctors often either\u00a0don\u2019t hear Black women or see their pain<\/a>. Black women\u00a0are\u00a0three to four\u00a0times more likely to die<\/a>\u00a0from pregnancy-related complications than white women. Black women are\u00a0underrepresented in clinical trials<\/a>\u00a0that require consent and are overrepresented in studies that do not. Black women simply are not receiving the same quality of healthcare that our white counterparts receive. I had been warned about the racism in healthcare, so I knew it was my responsibility to fight for my health when doctors failed to.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

…<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019ve lived in this body for over 27 years. I know when something is wrong. I\u2019d always heard stories about Black women feeling unheard, unseen, misunderstood and misdiagnosed. I\u2019d read article after article about Black women being ignored in healthcare. I watched a documentary about one of the world\u2019s greatest athletes \u2014 Serena Williams<\/a> \u2014 nearly dying during childbirth because our healthcare system refuses to listen to Black women. So I would not take \u201cno\u201d for an answer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

…<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As COVID-19 brings the world to a stop, while demands to end police brutality, anti-Black racism and lynchings echo through not only our country but the world, we must also reflect on where the two epidemics collide. How is it that no matter the social class, wealth or access to healthcare, Black mothers in the U.S. are likely to die at three to four times the rate<\/a> of white mothers? How are Black people more likely to die<\/a> from COVID? There are so many stereotypes and assumptions in healthcare about Black women in particular that lead to critical and deadly outcomes. Throughout this three-year process of discovery, I\u2019ve shared my health issues with many demographics. Every Black woman I shared my experiences with told me I had to take charge of my healthcare and be an advocate for my well-being. They told me that many doctors do not care about cries from Black women. And that breaks my heart. A distrust in a system built to protect and save lives shouldn\u2019t be a theme in every American industry, and yet here we are.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Read more from the author’s powerful account here<\/a>.<\/p>\nAMIRA LEWALLY, “As a Black woman, I had to beg doctors to take me seriously when my brain was leaking,” LA Times (October 30, 2020), https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/lifestyle\/story\/2020-10-30\/amira-lewally-i-begged-doctors-to-take-me-seriously-when-my-brain-was-leaking<\/a>.<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

If you have experienced discrimination in the health care setting<\/strong>, call the Health Consumer Alliance for free and confidential help: (888) 804\u20113536.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Studies have confirmed that many doctors often either\u00a0don\u2019t hear Black women or see their pain. Black women\u00a0are\u00a0three to four\u00a0times more likely to die\u00a0from pregnancy-related complications than white women. Black women are\u00a0underrepresented in clinical trials\u00a0that require consent and are overrepresented in studies that do not. Black women simply are not receiving the same quality of healthcare […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_kad_blocks_custom_css":"","_kad_blocks_head_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_body_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_footer_custom_js":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[86,71,72,85],"class_list":["post-1847","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news","tag-black-womens-healthcare","tag-california","tag-healthcare","tag-womens-healthcare"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nAs a Black woman, I had to beg doctors to take me seriously when my brain was leaking - Health Consumer Alliance (HCA)<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"As a Black woman, I share my story about the challenges I faced and the importance of advocating for yourself in healthcare.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, 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