ain’t going to a doctor, how are you going to get a proper diagnosis and treat DME or anything appropriately?
Add on the fact that there are far fewer Black docs practicing than there should be, and you’ve got a good reason why so many Black folks are distrusting.
Now, not to make this all about race, but hey, we all have different lived experiences, and sometimes we just want professionals who understand ours.
After all, isn’t this a bigger issue than just a medical diagnosis? We can talk about risk factors like alcohol, smoking, poor diets, lack of exercise, and all the usual suspects till the Sun explodes. But what good is that if we don’t address the core problems?
And here’s the core: lack of access.
There’s a reason diabetes is prevalent among one in ten Black folks between the ages of 35 and 49, and just six percent of white folks at that age. It’s because of a lack of access. We’re talking about lack of access to quality healthcare, lack of access to health education, lack of access to affordable, healthy, organic food, lack of access to safe, supportive environments – lack of access.
We don’t need some fancy, government-funded study to tell us what our eyes and ears already know.
Now the question is: what do we do about it?
Addressing The Problem
To reduce the severity and prevalence of conditions like DME, diabetes, or really anything else, we need to create an environment that actively supports all aspects of healthy living. While many government programs and subsidies exist, how can we be 100 percent sure all the money is being spent how it should be?
It’s important to have vigilant watchdog groups and community organizations that stand up for their local needs and wants.
We also need to encourage more Black medical students and physicians. This can be done through special scholarship and mentorship programs aimed at minority representation. Bit by bit, we can overcome the barriers to entry and increase the number of practicing Black doctors. This, in turn, will increase community trust in the medical establishment.
More Black participants in studies and trials can also help us understand the unique risk factors and genetics that lead to so many diseases.
In due time, if we’re persistent – and a little stubborn – we can drive change at the local and societal level. Better communities = better health.