Statistics reveal that Black Women are 5 times more likely to die during childbirth in the UK. Is this due to the Black Medical Myth dated back to slavery?
Black women in the UK have a disproportionate maternal death rate compared to other mothers in the UK. Many are connecting the statistics to slavery and the numerous medical procedures that were carried out on unanesthetized enslaved black people. James Marion Sims, "The Father of Gynaecology" was a strong believer in the myth that "black people do not feel pain". This belief has been carried forward into today's society where black patients are 50% less likely to be given the pain medication they need compared to their white counterparts.
Almost 50 years after the Tuskegee Syphilis Experiment, we are still dealing with the societal ideology associated with it.
Bolanle Benson, 48 says that
“My nurse refused to tell my doctor that I wanted an epidural.
This is a prime example of the mistreatment that the black women in this country face on a day to day basis when it comes to medical treatment.
Black people are more likely to be misdiagnosed than white people. This is due to the fact that many of the reference images used to diagnose certain diseases and infections are displayed on white skin tones and present differently on darker skin tones. The main problem is that many medical decisions today are based on the false subconscious belief that black and white people have different levels of pain tolerance. This significantly influences the way in which medical professionals treat black patients compared to white patients.
In an attempt to combat these disturbing statistics, the National Health Service is providing extra support to pregnant BAME women as part of their Long Term plan. The approach the NHS is taking involves ensuring that BAME women, in particular, receive care from the same midwife before, during and after they give birth. This form of protocol is proven to reduce pre-term births, hospital admissions and intervention during labour.
Hopefully, this will help tackle systematic racism in the medical field and help black mothers-to-be in the future.
