Lack of representation
This is one of the examples from the medical world, which shows that a lack of representation can have disastrous consequences for non-white populations. So wrote Laura ter Steege about the risks of a delayed, incorrect or missing diagnosis in black people and people of color. She speaks, among others, to dermatologist Jim Zeegelaar about the lack of representation in medical textbooks.
“During their training, doctors do not learn enough about recognizing skin conditions in dark skin. We are trained to look at redness of the skin. But the darker the skin, the more difficult it is to notice redness. This makes it more difficult for doctors to diagnose skin conditions, such as eczema or psoriasis.” Zeegelaar believes it is important that doctors and medical students learn what to look out for in addition to redness of the skin. Inflammation also expresses itself through heat and swelling, says Zeegelaar.
Quality of care
General practitioner and professor of health differences Maria van den Muijsenbergh states that your skin color influences the quality of care in the Netherlands. “This has to do with a lack of knowledge among doctors about dark skin, but also – we really have to acknowledge that – racism in healthcare. For example, that doctors think that a Muslim woman does not want prenatal diagnosis and therefore do not even ask if she wants a chorionic villus sampling .”
Fortunately, some progress has been made. For example, a drawing made by a student of a black fetus was published in medical books at the beginning of this year.
2023-07-13 08:43:39
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