Elaine Welteroth shares how not believing black people feel pain is a systemic issue in the medical field.
Category
🛠️
LifestyleTranscript
00:00 Why do you think it's so hard for people to believe that Black women are in pain?
00:04 The short answer is I don't know.
00:07 But it is a deeply systemic issue in our country.
00:13 And I think. Sadly, unless you have experienced it firsthand, it may not be real to you.
00:23 And I think when you actually look at the statistics, though, it paints a it paints a very clear picture that, you know,
00:32 especially when it comes to the maternal mortality crisis in this country.
00:39 Black women are not being given the compassionate, quality health care that they deserve.
00:46 And I'm really proud to to be a part of the solution,
00:55 not only by telling my own stories that deal with this issue, but also to to bring other people's stories to life through this initiative,
01:06 through this, you know, the Advil Pain and Equity Project is about creating solutions.
01:13 And I am here for that, I think, you know, but it's unfortunate that even your first question is it's it's like we're still.
01:22 Unfortunately, burdened with having to prove that this is even an issue.
01:29 So it's hard to move to a solution to move to solutions when you still have to prove again and again that this issue is even real and valid and deeply systemic.
01:45 So I think what the pain and equity, what Advil's Pain and Equity Project is doing so well is being able to do both at the same time,
01:55 telling powerful, compelling first person stories that validate our experiences of this issue,
02:04 while also doing the research that is going to back up these stories and and lend them credibility.
02:12 They're partnering with Black Health and the Morehouse School of Medicine to to do that research.
02:18 And out of that research, we're getting stats like, you know, one in five Black patients say that they feel discriminated against when they're seeking pain treatment.
02:27 That is that's really important. It's an important tool in this fight for change.
02:33 So I feel hopeful that, you know, by partnering with this initiative and lending my voice to this cause, that we're getting one step closer to fixing it.
02:48 (upbeat music)
02:50 I love this track.