The Disparity in Health Care and Resources for African-American Women

When I was fourteen years old I found a small lump in my left breast. That lump would later grow to the size and shape of a small lemon. When my mother and I expressed concern we were told that there was nothing wrong with me. After our continued persistence the doctor decided to have surgery “because it was bothering me so much.” By the time the breast surgeon decided to operate, the lump was visible through a thin shirt and I was 16 years old. The surgery would reveal that the lump contained 75% cancerous cells. Fortunately for me the cancer had not spread and I was able to return to a relatively normal life after three surgeries. Others are not so lucky. Although white, middle-aged women are more likely than any other race to be diagnosed with breast cancer, African-American women are more likely to die from it. Part of the reason for this disparity stems from distrust in the health care system by African Americans after decades of predatory health care practices, the lack of early detection and preventative measures, and unaffordable healthcare. This paper seeks to address the specific reasons for the disparities in the treatment of African-American women in the health care industry, especially in terms of breast health, how the gap can be closed, and the resources available to women of color now.

This topic is definitely relevant to the  topics in the Frontier Capstone course as it deals with both race  and sexuality. African-American men and women have be subjected to predatory health  care practices because of their race including experimentation with  infectious diseases and many  have  been killed in the name  of science. African-American women face predatory practices  as African-Americans and as women, a fact the  intersectionality and black feminist movements intend to change.

It may be argued today that the movement should be change the disparity in all minorities, not just African-Americans, but  studies have shown that African-Americans face the most discrimination in terms  of  health care practices. And while it is also known that African-American are less likely to seek  preventative treatment, centuries of abuse has embedded the distrust that causes this fact and only system policy changes can  reverse it.