By Nathan Rawls,
Student writer
A study from Tulane University found that these disparities lead to more chronic disease cases, higher death rates, and a lower quality of life among marginalized populations. To really understand health disparities, we must look at the history of how Black Americans have been exploited by the medical community.
This history includes some serious ethical violations, like the infamous Tuskegee Syphilis Study and the Henrietta Lacks case. Between 1932 and 1972, the U.S. government carried out a horrible experiment where about 400 Black men with syphilis were left untreated.
They watched to see how the disease progressed, even after a cure was found in 1947. Then, in 1951, Henrietta Lacks’ cells, known as “HeLa,” were taken without her permission. Those cells went on to become “immortal,” and the medical field made billions from them, but her family didn’t get any compensation until July 2023. This is a disturbing pattern—Black patients being used as test subjects in medical studies instead of being treated with the respect and dignity they deserve.
Currently, disparities in deep health issues come from structural racism and the biological effects of stress over time, known as “weathering.” Weathering causes people to age faster because of constant pressure. These historic inequalities are now made worse by structural racism and the biological effects of “weathering,” which refers to the premature aging caused by systemic stress. This is reflected in how Black patients’ concerns are often dismissed today. Yale also conducted a study showing that Black patients are less likely to get curative treatment. These disparities are part of a long history of exclusion. To achieve health equity, we need to dismantle the implicit biases that still influence a system where race often determines one’s outcomes.
Personally, I have a close family member who was a victim of a health disparity. This person was experiencing extreme pain and was dismissed by a medical personnel. Thankfully, her mother was her advocate, and she had to receive emergency surgery which ultimately saved her life.
In summary, it’s important to recognize that health disparities stem from a long history of exclusion and bias. Whether it’s from historical medical experiments or today’s experiences, like how my family member was treated in the medical world, it’s clear there’s still plenty of room for change in how people of color are treated when it comes to their health.
