At Sister Health Empowerment, our name is our mission. We strive to empower Black women with the knowledge, tools, and resources necessary to take control of their health. Built for Black women by a Black woman, we understand the unique challenges Black women face in their healthcare.
From health disparities to implicit bias, the barriers Black women may encounter while accessing healthcare are numerous and often intangible. Sadly, those barriers can have life-altering effects such as misdiagnoses, delayed diagnoses, disability, and even death. That’s why we are committed to providing health education and advocacy to support patients’ health literacy and help them better articulate their health goals.
Health Literacy – What does that mean?
Health literacy describes the ability to obtain, process, and understand basic health information. This ability involves interpreting charts and diagrams, comprehending medical terminology, and evaluating risks and benefits to the point of making well-informed health decisions.
Health decisions are a crucial part of navigating the healthcare system and taking action when necessary. In fact, studies show that individuals with strong health literacy experience more success in managing chronic health conditions and advocating for themselves in healthcare settings.
Why is health literacy so important for Black women?
When it comes to overall health, Black women tend to be diagnosed with more severe health conditions and experience worse health outcomes than their white counterparts.
These poor health outcomes are especially seen with:
Breast Cancer - Black women are more likely to die from breast cancer due to delayed diagnoses, limited access to quality healthcare, and socioeconomic status.
Diabetes - Over 12% of African American women aged 20 and older are living with diabetes.
Heart Disease - As the leading cause of death for Black women, heart disease affects Black women at alarming rates from high blood pressure to sudden cardiac arrest.
Maternal Health - According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Black women are three times more likely to die from pregnancy complications compared to white women.
Systemic inequalities in access to education, income, and healthcare collectively contribute not only to poor health outcomes among Black women, but also limited health literacy.
In short, research supports that equipping Black women with a better understanding of their health risks and how to best navigate the healthcare system is essential to them achieving adequate care and timely treatment.
Health Literacy & Self-Advocacy: Your Two-Edged Sword
Now, self-advocacy is another critical component of taking control of your health and we think of self-advocacy as a verb because it involves action. Actions such as, speaking up for your needs, expressing your health goals, asking questions, and seeking second or even third opinions when necessary all represent self-advocacy in healthcare.
Unfortunately, Black women often face medical bias in which their symptoms are dismissed or underestimated by healthcare providers. For example, a study on racial bias in medical practice found that many clinicians held false beliefs about biological differences between Black and white patients which potentially compromised patients’ treatments (Hoffman et al., 2016).
This is why Sister Health Empowerment is on a mission to educate, encourage, and empower Black women to:
Hold healthcare providers accountable (ask questions, seek clarity, request screenings, demand simplified explanations of diagnoses and treatment options)
Be persistent in self-advocacy (speak up when your concerns are ignored, document medical discussions, report unfavorable encounters while accessing healthcare)
Make informed decisions (study and save health education materials, research screening and treatment options before seeing your provider, discuss those options with people you trust)
How can Sister Health Empowerment help you?
Together, we can overcome the health conditions that have disproportionately affected Black women for generations. By providing accessible, culturally relevant, health education, promoting preventive care, and prioritizing health literacy, Sister Health Empowerment is standing in the gap for Black women’s health.
Serving as a resource and advocate, we are committed to supporting Black women through every step of their health journey. So, we invite you to join our community. Become a part of the SHE movement today and spread awareness by making a purchase from our store and following us on social media for our latest updates and offers.
References:
1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (n.d.). Racial and ethnic disparities continue in pregnancy-related deaths. https://www.cdc.gov/reproductivehealth/maternal-mortality/disparities-pregnancy-related-deaths/index.html
2. Hoffman, K. M., Trawalter, S., Axt, J. R., & Oliver, M. N. (2016). Racial bias in pain assessment and treatment recommendations, and false beliefs about biological differences between Blacks and Whites. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 113(16), 4296–4301. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1516047113
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