6 Reasons UC Goes Undiagnosed for Black Patients

With over three million Americans suffering some form of inflammatory bowel disease, you’d think pinpointing and treating these kinds of conditions would be easy. But that’s far from the case. In fact, for the longest time, these types of disorders were thought to be ‘white people problems.’  However, that all changed from 1970 to 2010 when the number of cases diagnosed in Black folks skyrocketed by over 130 percent.  Nowadays, you don’t need to look far to find someone suffering from ulcerative colitis (UC) or some other inflammatory bowel disease. Roughly 33 percent of people with such diseases are Black. Not only do problems from UC afflict more Black men and women than previously thought, but they also lead to more serious symptoms, longer hospitalization periods, and greater risk of death.  So, if you’re experiencing symptoms that have yet to go undiagnosed, it’s a good idea to be proactive. Here are six reasons UC goes undiagnosed so frequently in the Black community. 1. Uncommon Symptoms You might be thinking, alright, if problems with my gut and bowel movements continue, I’ll speak to a doctor and get to the bottom of it. But not so fast. As a Black man or...