Millions of people experience overt or covert racism that affects their day-to-day lives. But sometimes, the impact of such discrimination spills into healthcare, bringing life threatening consequences. So, when it comes to racial health disparities, can so-called biological differences explain these statistics, or is the misuse of science preventing us from getting to the root of the problem? Have you ever been asked a seemingly innocuous question that later left you feeling uncomfortable? Perhaps it made you think, would any other person, especially someone of a different ethnic or racial background, be asked that same question? For some of us, this can be the classic question of “Where are you really from?” or perhaps comments such as “You are so articulate” or “I’m not racist, I have several [insert race/ethnicity here] friends.” These questions and behaviors are what are now coined as ‘microaggressions,’ which, by definition, are negative racial slights, biases, prejudices, and insults—whether intentional or unintentional—toward people of different races and ethnicities. We can encounter such behaviors wherever we go and in a multitude of environments. One such instance is within healthcare settings. I, for example, was recently asked by a healthcare professional if I had experienced “female genital mutilation,” which at the time did not seem pertinent to the issue I was facing but left me feeling rather uncomfortable after I sat with it. Being of British-Turkish mix descent, I wondered if any of my other white friends would be asked the same question. Although, in my case, it did not have any adverse effects on my treatments or care, that may not always be the case. And I know I receive rather ‘privileged’ treatment because of the way I present, compared to other minoritized groups. Within healthcare contexts, the gravity of this discrimination becomes more apparent when patients and healthcare workers experience negative consequencesTrusted Source, which often lead to lower standards of care and a higher risk of illness. This month, we sat down with Dr. Monique Rainford, obstetrician and gynecologist at the Yale School of Medicine, and author of the book “Pregnant While Black,” and Angela Saini, science journalist and author whose most recent work includes the book “Superior.
Can biological race explain disparities in health?
