Analyzing The Response To Black Women's Pain

By: Rafeeat Bishi

         When I was hurt this week, I went to the doctor's office and hospital where I was able to receive care. One of the first things medical professionals ask is for you to rate your pain on a scale from 1-10. I was lucky enough to have people take my claims seriously and was helped accordingly. I could not help but think of the Black Women who are not afforded the same opportunities.

          In a memoir I recently read, the author makes a statement about how Black women were historically (and still are) denied the right to express pain and suffering. Most of them avoid, believing it to be a sign of weakness. We are told that we're supposed to be strong and resilient always. Considering the burden of decades of abuse and suffering, the perseverance of those before, Black American Women in particular are often given the title of "Strong". Usually, they are just disrespected or not considered worthy of care. 

         I remember seeing a study in which some doctors revealed that they are sometimes trained to disregard the symptoms of Black patients. Another studied showed that medical students and residents believed inaccurate information regarding the anatomy of Black people. 

As a result, they're pain can be downplayed or ignored. These include examples of medical racism. 

        A good example is Serena Williams. She almost died after her pregnancy because she was not given adequate attention for her pain.  Black women are 3x more likely to die from childbirth or complications during pregnancy. 

        I've seen countless times on twitter that Black women were turned away by doctors, their symptoms being linked to life-threatening conditions. Many females can relate to having the pain of their periods dismissed. It makes me very lucky to think I was able to have my issues addressed and treated right away.