Since the death of George Floyd, the world has begun to acknowledge how horrific discrimination towards Black people is. Many are starting to learn about different types of racism, but medical racism has not been discussed.
“Black people’s nerve endings are less sensitive than White people’s”, “Black people’s skin is thicker than White people’s”, “Black people’s blood coagulates more quickly than White people’s”. These myths stating that Black people are biologically different, come from slavery and are quotes believed by 40% of medical students and residents in a survey conducted by the University of Virginia. These beliefs were fabricated by doctors to justify experimenting on Black slaves without anaesthesia and consent, yet they still make up the backbone of racism in the healthcare industry today.
These implicit biases, which doctors may not know they have, lead to Black people being less likely to receive pain medication. This also contributes to the fact that Black women in the UK are 5 times more likely to die from complications during or up to 6 weeks after birth. Additionally, Black babies have a 67% increased risk of neonatal death, compared to White babies, as they receive a lower quality of health assistance. Neonatal mortality rates in BAME (Black, Asian, and minority ethnic) babies have increased since 2015, while neonatal mortality rates in White babies have decreased. Medical and institutional racism play a large role in these deaths. This needs to change.
Written by Karis Briscoe-Foster
Media by Ben Hyland
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