Welcome! Below is a selection of the latest research and updates related to Black women’s health.
In addition to the studies and reports below, I lift up the lived experiences of Black women, experiences which have often already confirmed for us what the studies and articles report.
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Let’s get into these updates!
U.S. Government Issues Guidance Prohibiting the Practice of Performing Sensitive/Intimate Examinations Without Consent
In a huge milestone for patient consent, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services issued guidance requiring medical providers to obtain patient’s written consent before any intimate examinations, particularly if they are done on patients under anesthesia. Yale University bioethics researchers found that Black patients are four times more likely than white patients to report having received unconsented pelvic or prostate exams.
“Informed consent includes the right to refuse consent for sensitive examinations conducted for teaching purposes and the right to refuse to consent to any previously unagreed examinations to treatment while under anesthesia,” noted the letter.
A study of patient portal responses indicates discrimination in healthcare
A new study found that when patients belong to minority racial and ethnic groups, their patient portal messages to their provider were de-prioritized; they were less likely to receive a physician response and more likely to receive a response from a nurse.
New study suggests racial bias in perception of children’s pain
A new study in the Journal of Experimental Psychology: Applied found that adults’ racial stereotypes impacted their perception of children’s pain. Black children were perceived to have had lived harder lives and thus be less sensitive to pain than other children.
Mistreatment in childbirth is common in the U.S., especially among the disadvantaged
A new study reveals that mistreatment in childbirth is a common occurrence in the U.S.. The highest rates of mistreatment occurred among people who were unmarried; Medicaid-insured; LGBTQ-identifying; obese; or who had a history of substance use disorder, mood disorders, or intimate partner and family violence; as well as those who had an unplanned cesarean birth.
Article: Why the Bronx Has No Birth Center
This recent article by THE CITY details how eight years after New York passed a law allowing midwives to open birthing facilities, advocates are still fighting for a birth center in the Bronx.
Changemaker for Black Women’s Health:
The Loveland Foundation
Founded by Rachel Cargle, The Loveland Foundation is a champion for the mental health and wellness of Black women and girls. The Loveland Therapy Fund provides financial assistance to Black women and girls to help pay for therapy sessions. Applications open quarterly.
In a world where Black women and girls face so many pressures and challenges, the Loveland Foundation’s work is making it possible for many to receive the care and support they need to thrive.
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