science

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Women's Health and Race

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Women's Health and Race

Introduction

Women's health and race are common health issues contributing to reproductive and sexual health differences in African-American women. Racial inferiority has been a historical narrative affecting health practices, quality, and healthcare types to African-American women. Research studies indicate that African-American women experience a massive burden while seeking healthcare provisions when faced with sexually transmitted diseases, maternal and infant mortality. Therefore, racism highly contributes to social inequality since it is the primary determinant of the African-American health status.

Literature Review

Prather et al. (2018) indicate that African American women experience harsh treatments during slavery. Many African American women experienced sexual and reproductive mistreatments and violence against them. Prather et al. (2018) further describe that most women during slavery experienced sexual assault from white employers who defined them as property. During slavery times, according to Moss (2002), women lacked legal and social protection from white sexual offenders due to legalized sexual exploitation by the white owners. Enslaved women lacked reproductive rights to decide who they engaged in sexual relationships with since they also lacked control over their sexuality.

Studies from Moss (2002) indicate that African-Americans experience pregnancy-related conditions like hypertension due to the limited quality of prenatal care. The author further states that African women experience advanced health conditions that require aggressive procedures, yet they are treated using less aggressive procedures leading to further complications like fibroids. African-American women have longer stays in hospitals due to inadequate healthcare attention and low-socio-economic backgrounds, limiting them to take advanced healthcare attention.

Additionally, according to Prather et al. (2018), transgenerational poverty created during slavery continues to affect African-American women when links between health, poverty, racism, and socioeconomic backgrounds related to Institutionalized racism make women vulnerable to sexual and reproductive health conditions. For instance, most African-American women live in areas with a high prevalence of HIV/AIDS, making them vulnerable to contract the disease.

Moreover, African-American women are denied access to social benefits. Most women of color live in low socioeconomic backgrounds due to their inability to afford quality life for their families, creating discrimination between the whites and blacks. The discrimination faced by African-American women makes them engage in unlawful behaviors like theft and prostitutions with harsh treatment from the justice system, limiting them to acquire healthcare attention for fear of being recognized.

The American culture has greatly impacted women's health and race issues since slavery. During slavery, African-American women had no voice to make their sexual relationship decisions. The Americans viewed them as reproduction elements where they were only allowed to reproduce as a benefit to white employers. American culture is wholly built on racism with health and social disparities. The social impacts of racism cause African-American women to live low lives due to inadequate education backgrounds and low-paying jobs. Most African-American women experience inequality in the workplace, making them vulnerable to extreme pressures and mental health conditions.

Conclusion

Women's health and race are common cultural phenomenon in America. African-American women experience health disparities due to their inability to voice for health changes. The federal state, social justice system, and policy regulators should create programs to develop equality in healthcare services. Education programs should also be enhanced to create awareness on public health service providers to provide quality services to all Americans regardless of race, gender, religion, culture, and beliefs.

References

Moss, N. E. (2002). Gender equity and socioeconomic inequality: a framework for the patterning of women's health. Social science & medicine, 54(5), 649-661.

Prather, C., Fuller, T. R., Jeffries IV, W. L., Marshall, K. J., Howell, A. V., Belyue-Umole, A., & King, W. (2018). Racism, African American women, and their sexual and reproductive health: a review of historical and contemporary evidence and implications for health equity. Health equity, 2(1), 249-259.