Pain during intercourse? Pelvic discomfort? Stomach problems? Fatigue, infertility, or irregular periods? If any of this sounds like you, you might be dealing with a condition called endometriosis.
Already familiar with the condition? Already diagnosed? Even so, it’s always good to know where you stand. After all, there are many unique challenges facing women with endometriosis, especially Black women. Although Black women are less frequently diagnosed with the condition, this is likely not due to a lower prevalence. Rather, it’s due to various barriers that impact proper diagnosis and treatment.
Why? Well, it comes down to many factors, including healthcare access disparities and systemic biases within the healthcare system. In some cases, it’s inadequate medical facilities. In other situations, it’s due to poor health insurance and even doctors’ racial biases.
Let’s break it down. First, let's delve into five significant concerns Black women face with endometriosis, and then after that, we’ll discuss how to address them.
You May Also Like
1. Delayed Diagnosis
According to some studies, it can take as long as a decade to properly diagnose endometriosis, and in Black women, twice as long. That could mean 20 years of guessing games, symptoms, and not knowing what’s really going on! So, it’s no wonder that delayed diagnosis is one of the most pressing concerns for Black women with endometriosis. Research also indicates that Black women are half as likely to be diagnosed, period, meaning that some never get the medical attention they need and deserve.
What’s causing these issues? Many speculate that provider biases, misconceptions about pain perception in Black women, and a general lack of awareness lead to diagnosis difficulties. In some cases, it comes right down to the doctor. If your doctor doesn’t understand your body like you do, that disconnect can be a problem.
RELATED: Let’s Talk Endometriosis: Finding Support for Black Women
2. Can’t Find a Doctor
One of the biggest headaches in life can be struggling to find a doctor when you need one. In other cases, you’ve got too many options and don’t know where to turn. One doctor says one thing, another sends you to a specialist, and another contradicts the others.
It can be exhausting!
You May Also Like
Sadly, getting timely and appropriate healthcare services can be a significant challenge for Black women with endometriosis. Many structural barriers exist. First, you’ve got limited availability of specialist care in certain communities. Then, you’ve got the fact that some insurance companies don’t want to fully cover critical diagnostic tests and treatments. Finally, you’ve got financial issues that may affect your ability to pay out of pocket.
Unfortunately, there are no easy answers. Addressing these disparities requires systemic change, and systemic change doesn’t come quickly or cheaply.
But with the right approaches, it will come. We’ll discuss this a little later…
3. Impact on Fertility
A major cause of infertility in women, endometriosis presents additional challenges to Black women in particular. One of the main issues that complicates this is limited access to reproductive endocrinologists and assisted reproductive technologies. Let’s face it, fertility treatments can be quite expensive, and you don’t want to go to just any random ‘specialist’ on the street. Childbearing is an important pillar in the Black community. Because endometriosis can make it hard to conceive, the condition can affect both mental and physical health greatly.
4. Mental Health
Speaking of mental health, living with endometriosis can take its toll. Black women often struggle with certain psychosocial challenges associated with the condition. These challenges include (a) stigma surrounding menstruation and reproductive health, (b) not enough culturally sensitive resources, and (c) a lack of support networks. Without all these pieces in place, it can be easy to feel anxious, depressed, or isolated with your condition. This is why culturally sensitive mental health support and peer support networks are so important. And unless these tools address the unique needs of Black women, they may be largely unhelpful.
5. Quality of Life
Clearly, endometriosis can have a big effect on your quality of life. Even in its less severe forms, it may impact your relationships, activities, and productivity at work. If you’re facing employment instability or have duties as a caregiver, this can get even trickier. Some days, the emotional and physical tolls are simply overwhelming.
Fortunately, there are many ways Black women can get empowered to make change. Education, advocacy, and community support are all important for overall quality of life and well-being. And we’re talking at both the individual and systemic levels. Healthcare providers should require cultural competency training and increased funding and resources should be allocated to community health centers first and foremost.
By speaking up about the lesser-known issue of endometriosis, Black women, Black doctors, and Black activists everywhere can spur the changes we so critically need.
