Discrimination in the Medical Field in the United States, Essay Example

Discrimination is a concerning problem in American society. The various forms of discrimination affecting American society include racism, gender, social status, and disability. In the health sector, the most common form of discrimination is racism. Racism has a significant effect on the psychological and physical health of an individual. The issue is common among Black and Latin patients. Studies conducted show that Black patients tend to receive a different pain treatment regime when compared to white patients. The health care sector needs to recognize the importance of treating each patient equally to ensure each patient receives proper care. Discrimination makes it more difficult for individuals to have access to quality medical services.

Research done by the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) showed that health inequality was a real issue in health care. The study, conducted in 2015, provided evidence supporting racial discrimination in health care. First, the study showed that life expectancy among Black Americans was lower than that of white people (Rees, 2020). It also found that Black Americans had high blood pressure as compared to their white counterparts. Over 42% of Black males had high blood pressure, while it was diagnosed on approximately 30% of white males (Rees, 2020). The statistics are almost similar in females.

The study also found that Black and Latinx people had lower rates of influenza vaccination. About 60% of Black and Latina people received the vaccination, while over 70% of white and Asian people received the flu vaccination (Rees, 2020). The study also found that racism resulted in mental health issues among Black, Latina, and Asian American groups. The issues range from stress, anxiety, and depression. Another study found that over 73% of white medical students believed that Black and white people had several biological differences (Rees, 2020). The most common difference was pain tolerance, in which they believed that Black people had a higher tolerance to pain. This belief led to Black people receiving inadequate pain medication when compared to white patients.

An example of racial discrimination in health care was evident in Malaika Pedzayi-Ferguson’s case. Malaika was admitted to the emergency room on two occasions due to kidney stones (Cohen, 2020). Instead of the doctors removing the kidney stones, they released her with Tylenol. Another case is Jada, whose IUD fell, leading to acute pain and endangered perforating the uterus. Doctors in separate emergency rooms snubbed her but provided her with ibuprofen. Jada had to get rid of it herself. In another case, Jayla went to the physician for an STD test. However, the practitioner conducted a yeast infection test and lied that she tested negative for STDs. All this time, Jayla had an STD. The lack of treatment for the STD led to her developing Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (Cohen, 2020). These are a few of the racial discrimination cases that have occurred in the health care sector.

In conclusion, discrimination is an issue that affects all sectors of American society. The health care sector is guilty of racial discrimination. A study conducted by HHS provides evidence showing a racial disparity in health care. The study showed that Black Americans are discriminated against regularly in the health care sector. There are many examples and accounts in social media sites where Black people provide their experiences regarding racism in health care.

References

Cohen, L. (2020). “Our System is Not Built to Serve Everyone Equally”: Doctors Push for an End to Racial Discrimination in Health Care. CBS News. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/health-care-system-racial-discrimination-equality/

Rees, M. (2020). Racism in Healthcare: What You Need to Know. Medical News Today. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/racism-in-healthcare