The Medical Space

By Zerri Trosper

Although the medical field is supposed to treat patients equally and fairly, no matter their background (i.e. race, religion, sexual orientation), that does not appear to be the case in America. Indeed, all doctors are made to swear an oath based on ethics, but implicit and unconscious bias still exists within our medical institutions and medical textbooks, which ultimately trickles down into our medical doctors and/or healthcare professionals. This space has historically been dominated by whiteness and maleness, and only in recent decades have we begun to see black people, people of color, and women be fully welcome into the fold of this space.

Furthermore, hospitals are very important to me, as I was, afterall, born in one. But the space first made my mother and me susceptible to maternal and infant mortality. What should have been an easy birth turned out to be an evening in Hell for my mother who tirelessly fought for someone to believe her about the extensive pain she was experiencing during childbirth. My mom always tells me she just knew we were going to die that day, but she says that an angel, a black nurse, was the one who saved and advocated for us until we made it. The medical space makes it possible for me to live a healthy life, but it also needs to become a more inclusive space if we ever hope to see it treat all people equally.

The medical space prevents me from being excited for things such as childbirth. This is an event that should be surrounded by happiness and joy, but many are not getting to experience that. Because the medical field has been a mainly white dominated space for so long, black women in particular are dying at alarming rates compared to their white counterparts during childbirth. This space restricts me and others like me from being taken seriously on account of our pain and our experiences and that is why this space stands out to me the most.

Related:
• AALCI 2020