Why do women face discrimination when receiving treatment?
There are various reasons why women may face discrimination against their race and/or gender, but the main reasons lead back to systemic racism, dark historical truths, and racial biases. The article "Racism, Sexism, and the Crisis of Black Women 's Health", goes over the systemic racism that black women face in America, and how women of color are more likely to die of numerous diseases, illnesses, and issues than white women. This article gives more of a perspective of why discrimination happens to patients who are women of color, and how it is not something women of color have done, but racist and prejudiced structures that have been set up in America. The article shares data from longitudinal studies on black women, and how systemic racism affects women's health. “We’ve come to realize how much one’s neighborhood environment and social structures, rather than genes, prescribe health outcomes,” says Cozier, an early BWHS investigator who now co-leads the study. She studies how psychosocial stressors—from divorce and job pressure to assault and natural disasters—influence the development of autoimmune and immune-mediated diseases, such as the difficult-to-diagnose sarcoidosis, which can affect the lungs, skin, kidneys, muscles, nervous system, and other organs" (McKoy, 2023). In conclusion, these structures have been pushing women of color back, giving them less opportunity to succeed in life and be healthy. This article sheds light on how systemic racism can affect women of color's health, and how the problems that they face aren't because of how they're made, but how their environment, social structure, and resources are built.
The Dark History of Medical Research
Although systemic racism plays a big part in discrimination towards women of color, the dark and unfortunate events that have happened to women of color, so that we have the developments in medicine that we have today may have had a reason and impact on why women of color face discrimination from health care providers. The article "Henrietta Lacks and America's dark history of research involving African Americans", goes over the unethical and heinous dark history of medical research that was only done towards people of color. This article helps spread the story of Henrietta Lacks, a black woman who went to seek medical treatment for cervical cancer but was then taken advantage of for her cervical cells that would be used for experiments. These unethical acts of the medical professionals she had entrusted left a long impact, especially on her family. "even though the HeLa cell line has been used for over 60 years (Skloot, 2010). The family was traumatized by this revelation and have sought legal action; however, they are yet to receive compensation" (Lyn Baptiste et al.,2022). Another very untold story is the experiments that were conducted on young enslaved women. According to Lyn Baptiste and the other authors in this article, three young enslaved black women named Anarcha, Betsy, and Lucy, were used to do "experimental gynecological procedures and surgeries" without anesthesia from a gynecologist, Dr. James Marion Sims. These surgeries were done countless times on these women, who were strapped down and forced to do these operations. Because of experiments like these, Medical practitioners such as Dr.James Marion Sims came up with racial stereotypes such as black people having a "stronger tolerance" to pain. In summary, this article teaches the scary reality of medical research in the past how that has affected women of color in America, and how certain biases stem from these horrific experiments. This article also shines a light on the truly important figures like Henrietta Lacks, who were taken advantage of, and are the real reason new changes and discoveries were made. Through these events, some doctors have these false biases in their minds, and women of color have been mistrusted making it harder for them to see medical professionals, which leads to less care. In conclusion, this gives historical background to reason and ways women of color have faced discrimination and poorer treatment from medical professionals.
Gender & Racial prejudices
Both systemic racism and historical events play a huge part in discrimination against women of color receiving treatment, but doctors' perceptions can get in the way too. Canary Girardeau, a Registered Nurse who has worked for over 68 years in the field of nursing, and was the first African American woman to go to the University of Wisconsin School of Nursing, says how some medical professionals' prejudices can affect a woman of color's treatment. "Well start first with the fact of skin color. There are some medical professionals that because of the way they were raised or the way they were led to believe, just don’t give people of color not just women, but generally people of color the kind of attention that they deserve and need"(Girardeau,2025). Some doctors' prejudice and racist thinking, have led to women of color facing discrimination and harsher treatment from healthcare providers. Even though these are actions that are taught, a medical professional's perception and beliefs can affect a patient's health and can put their lives at risk, especially patients who are women of color. Not only does racial prejudice get in the way when it comes to women of color's health, but different biases such as dislike of a certain race, gender, size, and other parts of someone's identity that they most likely can’t change, can be a factor towards discrimination women of color face from health care providers. Mickelle West is a legal specialist at New Jersey's Department of Human Services who focuses on minority criminal defendants and obtains certifications in Healthcare Compliance and Bioethics from Harvard Medical. West shares that some medical professionals can have biases more than just race, and how these biases can burden and diminish patients who are women of color. "other reasons besides race that are being faced, but not discussed are discrimination against women who are obese or have socio or economic concerns, and it's the belief that its someones (patients) fault or she didn't take care of herself on this side, so now she doesn't deserve, or is worthy of pain medication or even attention to her health concerns"(West,2025). In conclusion, already-built racial structures, historical background, and racial and other prejudices are some main factors in racial discrimination and can lead to women of color feeling unheard and left with serious health concerns.
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