• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
BlackDoctor.org
Where Wellness & Culture Connect

Where Wellness & Culture Connect

  • Health Conditions
  • Wellness
  • Lifestyle
  • Longevity
  • Resource Centers
    • Cancer Resource Center
    • Covid Resource Center
    • Clinical Trials Resource Center
  • Find A Doctor
  • BDO TV
Home / Lifestyle / Living with Fibroids / Remembering Kim Porter And Why Some Doctors Don’t Believe Black Women

Remembering Kim Porter And Why Some Doctors Don’t Believe Black Women

(Photo by Earl Gibson III/Getty Images)

The passing of model, actress, and mother Kim Porter, hit the world hard. She was a beautiful Black woman who seemed healthy, had no previous signs of health issues, but then passed away at the young age of 47.

As the ex of media mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs, Combs remembers the last conversation the two of them had.

“She had the flu, and she sent the kids over to my house so they wouldn’t get sick,” he said. “One night I was checking on her, and she was like, ‘Puffy, take care of my babies.’ ” She actually said that to me before she died.”

He said he “jumped into mommy mode” to make sure their children didn’t learn of her death from social media – right down to having their son’s phone disconnected as he was on a plane so he couldn’t read about it while he was traveling.

You May Also Like
7 Proven Ways to Cure an Upset Stomach

“Every time Kim and I talked, it was about the kids,” Combs said. “It was what she cared about the most. We’d check in as friends, of course, but we never had a conversation that didn’t include the kids.”

Now, there are stories going around that say she had issues, had a doctor, but the doctor did not listen to her. This is eerily familiar to the true story of Serena Williams during labor. Serena had to literally ‘save her own life’ because her doctor didn’t believe the level or seriousness of pain she was going through.

Given this environment where the person who is supposed to help you–your doctor–is not listening to you, many black women have found their own ways to advocate for their health. From making a full-on production about their pain to asking a thousand questions a thousand different ways, something has to be done.

Black women’s bodies have been abused by the medical profession for hundreds of years. J. Marion Sims is considered the “father of modern gynecology.” Sims was a surgeon from Alabama who performed a series of experimental procedures on enslaved Black women in the mid-1800s. None of these women were consenting to these procedures and were often operated on without the use of anesthesia, or numbing agents.

You May Also Like
How One Woman Eliminated 50 Fibroids without Surgery!

The inhuman treatment of these women perpetuated the belief that because of the color of our skin, Black women and Black people are biologically more adverse to pain than white people. This myth has stuck with us for generations.

Fast forward to the 20th century, African Americans are now routinely under-treated for their pain compared with whites, according to research. A study released in 2016 shed some disturbing light on why that might be the case.

Researchers at the University of Virginia quizzed white medical students and residents to see how many believed inaccurate and at times “fantastical” differences about the two races — for example, that blacks have less sensitive nerve endings than whites or that black people’s blood coagulates more quickly.

They found that fully half thought at least one of the false statements presented was possibly, probably or definitely true.

Moreover, those who held false beliefs often rated black patients’ pain as lower than that of white patients and made less appropriate recommendations about how they should be treated.

The study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, shows one of the most frustrating problems in pain treatment today: That whites are more likely than blacks to be prescribed strong pain medications for equivalent ailments.

The study concluded that, “A substantial number of white laypeople and medical students and residents hold false beliefs about biological differences between blacks and whites, and demonstrates that these beliefs predict racial bias in pain perception and treatment recommendation accuracy.”

Black women’s pain is real and the medical system is broken. Misogynoir is more pervasive than what is generally perceived, and Black women deserve to been seen. Many Black women spend more time trying to convince their doctors the need to provide the care they need than actually receiving it. The time is now to stop that.

Here are a few tips on how to talk to your doctor to be sure that he/she truly understands your situation:

Get Descriptive: Use Metaphors and Memories

You can help doctors understand just how debilitating your pain is by being more descriptive.

It’s perfectly OK to be a little more

Continue Reading

The Latest In Living with Fibroids

Endocrine Disruptors

Are these Household Products Causing Fibroids?

New research is shedding new insight into how harmful compounds contained in plastic may disrupt hormone function and women's health. Approximately 80% of reproductive-aged women have uterine fibroids, which are non-cancerous tumors that form in the uterus, but the source read more about Are these Household Products Causing Fibroids?
fibroids

Media Giant Necole Kane Starts Up My Happy Flo Company To Fight Fibroids

Everyone wants to believe they have a purpose on this Earth. Necole Kane certainly believed she had a calling to do some good in this life. After working in the media for several years and transitioning to the CEO of read more about Media Giant Necole Kane Starts Up My Happy Flo Company To Fight Fibroids
Beverly Johnson

Beverly Johnson Says a Hysterectomy Led to Menopause: “I Was Not Prepared”

A lot is known about menopause, like the fact that once a woman reaches 45 to 55, "the change" is around the corner. However, there are other factors that can cause women to experience menopause earlier than they typically would, read more about Beverly Johnson Says a Hysterectomy Led to Menopause: “I Was Not Prepared”
fibroids in uterus

Fibroids Can Develop in Other Places Besides Your Utuerus

The body can do many things. It can tell you when danger is near or protect you from sickness. It cleans out any waste and toxins and in some cases can even clean itself. Your body is something that does read more about Fibroids Can Develop in Other Places Besides Your Utuerus
Nischelle Turner

Nischelle Turner On Fibroids: “I Looked Like I Was Three Months Pregnant”

Like many women, Nischelle Turner spent years believing that the “debilitating” pain she was experiencing was a result of being a woman.  "I've had incredibly tough periods my entire life, very heavy, very painful. But in not knowing better, I read more about Nischelle Turner On Fibroids: “I Looked Like I Was Three Months Pregnant”
pain during sex

When Sex Hurts: 10 Most Common Causes Of Pain During Sex

“Ouch! That hurts!” is one of the last things you want to say during sex and pain is definitely not what you want to feel during sex. Not only can it ruin the mood, but it can create significant anxiety read more about When Sex Hurts: 10 Most Common Causes Of Pain During Sex

Primary Sidebar

Subscribe to our newsletter

Poll

Popular Posts

  • 10 Signs You’re Living With Clogged Arteries 10 Signs You’re Living With Clogged Arteries
  • Monica Calhoun at 51: “Exude Beauty Inside, Manifest It Outside”Monica Calhoun at 51: "Exude Beauty Inside, Manifest It Outside"
  • Mo’Nique at 55: Slimmer, Happier & Wiser: “I Love Us For Real”Mo'Nique at 55: Slimmer, Happier & Wiser: "I Love Us For Real"
  • Taimak: The Last Dragon Lives 35+ Years Later!Taimak: The Last Dragon Lives 35+ Years Later!
  • John David Washington: “They Tried To Use My Name Against Me”John David Washington: "They Tried To Use My Name Against Me"

Podcast

Footer

Where Wellness & Culture Connect

BDO is the world’s largest and most comprehensive online health resource specifically targeted to African Americans. BDO understands that the uniqueness of Black culture - our heritage and our traditions - plays a role in our health. BDO gives you access to innovative new approaches to the health information you need in everyday language so you can break through the disparities, gain control and live your life to its fullest.

Connect With Us

Learn More About

  • Hepatitis C
  • Diabetes
  • Sickle Cell
  • Mental Health
  • About Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Advertise With Us
  • BlackDoctor.org Advertising and Sponsorship Policy
  • Daily Vitamina
  • TBH

Copyright © 2023, BlackDoctor, Inc. All rights reserved.