Is the healthcare world divided? Many African Americans, especially women, are not comfortable with their primary healthcare physician. Why is this a serious issue? Putting trust in your primary physician is serious when you feel uncomfortable or not seen. This keeps many black women away from the doctor’s office.

Feeling unheard

In a survey I conducted on the experience of black women and their experience with their primary physicians, 53.6% felt uncomfortable in the doctor’s office. Some will return to the doctors or will find a different office, some will not even return to a doctor for regular appointments.

64.3% of the women who took the survey were from 18-25, 25% were from 34-55. Older women are still finding it hard to find appropriate doctors who will take their health seriously vs the status of their race.

(Link to the survey)

Protection 

 Many black women feel that their health is not the physician’s primary concern when going into the doctor’s office, this is important because a doctors office can be a scary place and you want someone who will have your best interest at heart and fight to protect you.

African Americans face more than health risks, but discrimination, the worst illness of all kind. Many health professionals are still not taking care of everyone no matter the color or race. When the Jim Crow laws were enforced nearly 63 years ago, which made racial discrimination against African Americans illegal, and this is also another factor in black women’s health. This is a major cause because of the lack of resources during the mid 60s .

Current News 

Black women still feel that their needs are being unheard today, many times they will not visit a doctor’s office until they have found one that makes them feel comfortable and know that their health is being taken care of in the proper way.