J Racial Ethn Health Disparities. 2025 Apr 24. doi: 10.1007/s40615-025-02424-7. Online ahead of print.
ABSTRACT
Discrepancies in healthcare outcomes and quality of treatment between White people and people of color are known and statistically relevant in the USA. The possible root causes of this issue, however, are not discussed enough, further enhancing an unequal access to proper healthcare and not acknowledging the role of racism and White supremacy in the consolidation of the medical field in the country. This article used discourse and document analysis to understand the role in which racism and narratives regarding Black bodies during the consolidation of medicine and gynecology had in the USA during the nineteenth century to create discrepancies in access and quality of care for Black patients today. The findings suggest that the dehumanizing narratives of Black patients in the past still impact the quality of care, creating higher mortality rates, worse prognosis, and lack of proper pain management, reinforcing health disparities.
PMID:40272774 | DOI:10.1007/s40615-025-02424-7
