Happy Black History Month! This February, we’d like to highlight the Black health care experience.
Here to share her story is one of our followers, Sheba Simpson. Scroll down to watch the full video!
Sheba discusses two experiences with health care in America as a Black woman. The first one happened when she was about to give birth to her daughter. While being prepped for her C-section, the doctor asked if a student could watch the procedure. She told him no. But after she gave birth, she saw the same student watching from behind the curtain. And during this life-changing event, she said she felt “instantly infuriated.”
The second incident was when she went to the emergency room for intense pain. Once she finally saw the doctor, he repeatedly asked her to rate her pain on a scale of one to ten. When she stated it was a seven, he said, “Are you sure? You don’t seem like you’re in that much pain.” She replied simply: “If you are not going to believe my response, then why ask the question?”
As Sheba expresses, this is a common theme for Black people who seek health care. Too often patients are unable to receive the empathy and consideration they deserve. She leaves us with a call for change: “The health care system needs reform now.”
Watch her full story here: