When it comes to Black women’s health, access to timely, reliable, and culturally relevant information can be the difference between early diagnosis and life-threatening outcomes. Whether it’s breast cancer, uterine cancer, clinical trials, or reproductive care, too many Black women face barriers to the information and care they need—often leading to higher mortality rates and worse health outcomes.
At BlackDoctor.org’s second annual “State of Black Health: What Now” summit, hosted in collaboration with USA TODAY, the message was clear: health information is medicine, and Black women deserve better access, representation, and care.
Kianta Key, Group SVP, Digital, and Head of Identity Experience at GCI Health, led a powerful discussion on health equity, advocacy, and the fight against misinformation. The panel, “Information is Medicine.
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Meet the Panelists
- Bianca Mayes, MPH, CHES of Planned Parenthood
- Dr. Sharon Allison-Ottey, COSHAR Healthy Communities Foundation
- Kayla Nixon, M.Ed., Society of Gynecologic Oncology and Uterine Care Collaborative
- Horace Clark, VP of BlackDoctor.org (BDO)
Key Takeaways from the Panel
1. Health Misinformation is Costing Black Women Their Lives
Black women are more likely to die from preventable diseases—not because they don’t care, but because they aren’t receiving the right information in time.
“Nearly half of Black women with metastatic breast cancer never received information about their condition. Seventy-three percent of Black women have never been informed about clinical trials,” Kianta Key revealed.
Bianca Mayes called for a radical shift in how health information is delivered:
“Part of what we need to do, as well-intentioned as we are, is to remember that we are not talking amongst peers. We’re talking to the community. And we have to change the way that we do that… If that means we have to be uncomfortable in how we present information—in a way that feels like you’re talking to your auntie, your grandma, or your neighbor—then that’s what we have to do.”
Dr. Sharon Allison-Ottey emphasized the importance of culturally tailored messaging:
“We have to reach Black women the same way we hit them with the Bloomingdale’s sale. The same way we hit them with Neiman Marcus or Bergdorf Goodman. Why is this important? If we really keep it simple, we can make sure Black women get the information they need to save their lives.”
2. Mistrust in Healthcare is Real, But It Can Be Overcome
Many Black women delay seeking care or ignore symptoms because they don’t trust the healthcare system—and often, for good reason.
Kayla Nixon shared her harrowing personal experience as a young Black woman diagnosed with uterine cancer:
“I was diagnosed with uterine cancer when I was 24 years old, which is pretty young. The first provider I saw was a white male, and my appointment lasted five minutes because he looked at me and said, ‘There’s no way you have cancer.’ In my persistence, I saw another provider almost immediately, and she ran a gamut of tests—an MRI, blood tests, ultrasounds—and ultimately, a D&C where she discovered the cancer.”
Without self-advocacy, Nixon may not have received the life-saving care she needed.
Dr. Allison-Ottey reminded healthcare providers that bias exists in all communities—including among Black doctors:
“Bias is bias. While we as Black doctors believe that we may not have bias, we do. Socioeconomic bias, color bias, educational bias—we all have it. The difference is, we need to recognize it and work to overcome it. That’s how we change healthcare outcomes for Black women.”
3. Meeting Black Women Where They Are: Shop Chat & Community Education
To combat misinformation and lack of access, Planned Parenthood is taking health education directly into Black communities.
Mayes highlighted the Shop Chat program, which trains Black beauticians and nail techs to educate their clients about women’s health:
“Through our Shop Chat program, we actually teach nail salon folks, nail techs, beauticians, how to talk to their own communities about women’s healthcare… Because sometimes you might not want to hear it from me, but you will hear it from your nail tech that spent three hours on your nails…”
Planned Parenthood also offers real-time health education via online chat:
“We have a chat text online, which is a part of our Planned Parenthood website where you can actually have a pop-up box in the corner or use your phone to text, and a real-life educator— I used to be one of them—would provide healthcare information in real-time,” Mayes added.
But not everyone has internet access—which is why face-to-face community engagement is key.
“We even had a wonderful event where we went to barbershops and talked to Black men about how they can help advocate for their pregnant wives as they go through the process of childbirth and childcare,” Mayes noted.
4. Leveraging Social Media to Combat Misinformation
Black people get a significant amount of their health information from social media, but not all of it is accurate.
Horace Clark, VP of BDO, emphasized the importance of trusted messengers:
“It’s not necessarily the platform—it’s the type of information that’s being shared… So how do we give a face to pharma? How do we make pharma more than just a building or a logo? How do we elevate the people in this room who are making a difference?”
Mayes called for holding social media platforms accountable:
“It is dangerous when incorrect information spreads. We should be putting pressure on social media companies and saying, ‘I expect more from you. Take this down because it’s harmful.’”
5. Influencers Can Be Health Advocates—If Used Correctly
Influencers can help amplify health messages, but they must be responsible with their platforms.
Nixon cautioned against relying solely on influencers for medical advice:
“I’m not looking to hear health information from someone who does makeup. And that’s just the reality of it.”
Dr. Allison-Ottey agreed but stressed that partnerships between influencers and healthcare professionals can be effective:
“It’s not them versus us—it’s all of us. Use whatever tool you have to reach people at risk. If an influencer opens the door, then bring in someone credible.”
6. “Information is Medicine”: Final Thoughts
At the end of the discussion, Key asked each panelist to complete the sentence: “Information is medicine because…”
- Bianca Mayes: “It is revolutionary. When patients can repeat back what they’ve learned, that is an act of empowerment and revolution.”
- Dr. Sharon Allison-Ottey: “It may not taste good, but it’s good for you.”
- Kayla Nixon: “Knowledge is power. Once we have information, we can take action.”
- Horace Clark: “It’s the beginning step to uplifting our community. Without information, we can’t change our situation.”
Final Thoughts: Black Women Deserve Better Healthcare
For far too long, Black women have been left out of critical health conversations—but that must change.
“We deserve information. We deserve access. We deserve to be heard. And if we have to be louder, bolder, and more relentless about it,” Mayes shared.
Join the Movement for Change
To continue the conversation and access life-saving health information, visit:
Because when Black women are empowered with knowledge, they save lives—including their own.
