Black Women, Your Doctor Might be Ignoring Your Pain: Here’s the Shocking Reason Why

Surveys have repeatedly shown that a large percentage of Black Americans don’t feel like their symptoms are taken seriously by the medical community. It has led to a general mistrust of medical professionals that affects how often Black people seek out well-needed care. Unfortunately, a recent study shows that the lack of trust is justified. Here’s what you need to know.  Why Your Doctor Might be Ignoring Your Pain The main reason many doctors might not take your pain seriously rests on a recurring issue: racial bias. However, knowing the answer doesn’t mean that it’s a simple one. It’s easy to pass it off as some doctors being racist but an in-depth look at the situation shows that it can be complicated.  The way doctors make decisions can be guided by what is known as an algorithm bias. Even if the doctor isn’t working off of harmful stereotypes about Black people, they might be basing their decisions on incomplete data. Studies show that medical data generally favor white people more than people of color. As such, they might not treat Black people effectively. For example, there are certain diseases that doctors still assume only affect white people though that’s not...