My Worst Experience of Medical Racism

Hello friends,

Throughout my life there have been ebbs and flows, with the result that there are at least two countries I could call home. I often think about spending more time in the UK, but then I also think about my own experience of medical racism - and the ones that have been in the news throughout this year - and it gives me pause. Here’s my worst experience of this:

Back in the early 2000s I was pregnant with what would turn out to be my only child. All had gone pretty smoothly. I’d made it through the first trimester without feeling particularly sick, and I was at the stage where you’re not yet too heavy to move, and have recovered some of your energy. There was just one issue - a recurring discomfort in my left leg - a kind of tearing sensation that didn’t feel right to me.

I did what you’re supposed to do and mentioned it to my GP - a white guy. He wasn’t all that bothered. It was a case of “take two paracetamol and call me in the morning”.

That didn’t help, and I mentioned it again on my next visit. He was dismissive: “things stretch in pregnancy; some discomfort is to be expected.”

While he wasn’t wrong about that - my shoe size will never be the same again! - he was also not right, because I knew my body and I knew this particular pain didn’t feel right and seemed to be getting worse. But I couldn’t get him to take me seriously.

How I eventually got it sorted was a bit of a coincidence. I was visiting the hospital for a checkup on another issue. By this time I was having a little trouble walking and was limping slightly - and the tearing sensation had got worse. As I walked towards the appointment area, a Jamaican midwife saw me, stopped me, asked a question about what I’d been experiencing, and led me to a bed. “I know what’s wrong; I’ll get a consultant to look at you,” she said. Thank goodness for that.

Within a short time, I knew what was wrong (it’s called symphysis pubis, for those who want the gory details), and had been equipped with a support belt and a set of crutches which I used for the rest of my pregnancy.

And it was a good thing she caught it, too, because it turned out that left unchecked, it could have had long term effects on my mobility. And I’ll never know if the weakness I still experience in that area 20 years later could have been avoided if my GP had listened to me the first time.

*****

So whenever I hear about stories like that of Jessica Pettway, who’d been misdiagnosed with fibroids when she actually had cervical cancer, and whose misdiagnosis took her life, I think about that experience, and about the stats on the relatively higher mortality rate among Black women.

And I’m grateful for all those who are trying to do something about it. Because we deserve better (and if you fix the causes, you’ll make it better for everyone).

Your Action Steps

If you haven't already, educate yourself about medical racism, which isn't just about having pain and conditions ignored but also about being experimented on. Examples: the Tuskegee syphilis study, modern gynaecology, Henrietta Lacks.

Investigate the stats for Black people's mortality in your area and see where your voice can make a difference. Then use it!

Thanks for reading,

Sharon

Note: poll feedback is private - if you’re happy to share your thoughts in public, then please also leave a comment.

I am an anti-racism educator and activist, the author of “I’m Tired of Racism”, and co-host of The Introvert Sisters podcast.

© Sharon Hurley Hall, 2024. All Rights Reserved. This newsletter is published on beehiiv (affiliate link).