The Center has created a culturally appropriate outreach initiative to address knowledge gaps in uterine fibroid care and women’s Health.
Uterine Fibroids
Many women with undiagnosed or newly diagnosed conditions such as uterine fibroids suffer alone. They are unsure of the best questions to ask and often feel there is no one to turn to.
For women who do find appropriate providers, they often report feelings of frustration, distrust and difficulty processing clinical information. This can be an overwhelming experience as many women try to understand and cope with what is happening to their bodies.
In an effort to support African American women with uterine fibroids, The Center for Black Health & Equity has created a culturally appropriate outreach initiative to address knowledge gaps in uterine fibroid care, medical mistrust, and access to traditional and holistic healthcare. S.I.P. (solutions in practice) & Share virtual event series held in partnership with women-led organizations including No More Secrets: Mind, Body, Spirit, Inc.
These events highlight practical solutions for uterine care. Most importantly, the conversation series feature authentic conversations about Black women’s experiences with uterine fibroids.
- The primary aims of the initiative explain:
- The importance of advocacy and confronting implicit bias and structural racism when seeking treatment for uterine fibroids
- The basics of understanding available treatment options and food substitutions to address the symptoms and size of uterine fibroids.
Major takeaways from the series have been included in this take-home guide.
The Center for Black Health & Equity works to promote strategies to increase healthcare access and trust among women living with or affected by uterine fibroids. Our work is rooted in community engagement, and we specialize in bringing new voices to the table as we strive toward health equity. We hope this guide continues the conversation among Black women and the people in our circles of support.
The Center is happy to partner with organizations that share our commitment to the pursuit of health justice for people of African descent. As we journey further into this work, we hope this guide continues the conversation among Black women and the people in our circles of support. We hope to stay connected as we grow through the journey.
In an effort to support African American women with uterine fibroids, The Center for Black Health & Equity (The Center) created a culturally appropriate outreach initiative to address knowledge gaps around uterine fibroids, medical mistrust and bias, access to healthcare and healthy behaviors.
The Center for Black Health & Equity partners with women-led organizations including No More Secrets: Mind, Body, Spirit, LLC to host virtual events focused on authentic conversations about Black women’s experience with uterine fibroids.
- Limited access to Black mental health clinicians:
- 2% of psychiatrists are Black
- 4% of psychologists are Black
- 7% of marriage and family therapists are Black
- 11% of licensed professional counselors are Black
- 15% of clinical social workers are Black
- Inaccessibility of culturally responsive mental health resources:
- Black individuals are misdiagnosed at a higher rate than white individuals.
- Black individuals in mental distress are more likely to have behavior interrupted as uncooperative and met with an increased chance of arrest; which contributes to the already higher percentage of Black individuals incarcerated in the prison industrial complex.
- There is insufficient research on the unique ways nicotine addiction affects people of African decent.
- Lack of curriculum for mental health professionals
- Mental health care systems wrought with unaddressed structural racism:
- The 2021, the American Psychological Association issued an apology to People of Color for their longstanding contributions to systemic racism.
- While systemic racism and structural racism are synonymous, structural racism analysis pays more attention to the historical, cultural and social psychological aspects of our currently racialized society.
- Structural racism refers to the totality of ways in which societies foster racial discrimination through mutually reinforcing systems of housing, education, employment, earnings, benefits, credit, media, health care and criminal justice.
- Structural racism operates through laws and policies that allocate resources in ways that disempower and devalue members of historically disenfranchised and underrepresented populations, resulting in inequitable access to high-quality care.
- Examples of structural racism include the lack of curriculum for mental health practitioners that address the racist foundations on which the mental health industry was built, the high percentage of uninsured individuals in the Black community and the ongoing dismissal of Black pain and distress by healthcare professionals.
