Image Source: ZoĂŤ Medical Clinic
Health & Wellness WITH DR. JANE KACHOPE zoemedical.ca
At times, it is a delay, a denial, a misdiagnosis or a missed diagnosis; other times, it is not feeling respected, feeling belittled or dismissed. The high rate at which Black women experience negative interactions and outcomes when dealing with the healthcare system, as compared to their white counterparts, is well documented and unsettling. Not even celebrities are immune. In an interview with Vogue magazine in 2017, Serena Williams shared her experience following an emergency C-section. After recognizing something was wrong, she asked for a CT scan and blood thinner but wasn’t taken seriously by medical staff. Her situation turned out to be life threatening requiring follow-up surgery. Given this dismal underbelly, how can a woman of color arm herself for the next time her intuition tells her something is not right and she heads off to the doctor or ER? Are there any steps that can be taken? Edmonton family physician Dr. Jane Kachope of Zoe Medical Centre shared some tips on ways women can empower and advocate for themselves when dealing with the healthcare system. 12 MELANISTIC
