By Cassie Shortsleeve, September 29, 2020
Also, when it comes to options for care for women of color and fibroid treatment, various options aren’t often discussed, says Kecia Gaither, M.D., M.P.H., an ob-gyn and maternal-fetal medicine doctor at NYC Health Hospitals/Lincoln. “Hysterectomy is given as the sole therapeutic option.” But the truth of the matter is, while hysterectomy is often a choice on a woman’s menu of treatment options, it’s usually not the only choice. And you should never feel like you have to take it or leave it when it comes to your health. To this extent, there’s systemic racism and bias that plays a role here, say experts. After all, many pelvic and reproductive procedures have racist roots as they were originally and experimentally performed on Black female slaves. In the early 2000s, there were also cases of non-consensual sterilization in the California prison system, explains Dr. Irobuna. “It is well-known that bias exists as it relates to Black women and medical care — I have personally witnessed it,” says Dr. Gaither.
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