Black Americans Do Not Trust the Medical Sector. Free Essay

Black Americans do not trust the medical sector in the US. In the early 1990s and the 1800s, there was profound racial bias. Black people were treated as test subjects and especially in medical experiments. An excellent example of such a case is the Tuskegee experiment. In 1932, a study to determine the effects that syphilis has on black people was carried out. The government took about 399 black people and placed the In camps (Alsan, 2017). In the camps, the patients of syphilis were tricked into believing that they will get cured by being given drugs while in a real sense, they were not being given any medication. The doctors only came in to gather information about how the patients reacted to untreated syphilis (Paul & Brookes, 2015). They gave them painful taps on the spine every day and claimed that they were part of the medication procedures. They also gave them painkillers instead of curative drugs. The study went on for about 40 years with the same treatment of black people.

The ethical standards of the government were significantly affected by the study due to the condemnation by human rights activists. There are other reasons why black people do not trust the medical; sector. Apart from the previous mistrust to the sector, there are other reasons why people mistrust it. Among many black people, especially men, the use of medical intervention for issues such as depression is termed as a weakness and a sign that one cannot compose themselves in hard issues. Due to such beliefs, many of them do not go to the hospital and prefer to suffer in private. They also go to unqualified people who give them wrong advice about the issues that they are undergoing. The friends may even guide them to vices, such as drug abuse or other negative traits.

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Moreover, there are very few people who are qualified to work as professional doctors from the race. In a sample of ten people, only about three are black Americans. It is hard to relate to the ethics of black people without a good understanding of their culture and beliefs. They are explaining some of the factors that affect them to the doctors to claiming that black people are paranoid or negligent to medical care. Such measures make them feel condemned and unwanted. Having more people in the sector to represent them may increase the trust that the people have and also manipulate the idea that the other doctors have about black people.

Trust is important in the medical fraternity. One can't tell the medical officer the issues that are affecting them if they do not trust them. One of the greatest fears is the leakage of information about what one is suffering from. It would be shameful if one is exposed due to the issues that they are going through, especially if it is condemned in the society where one lives. An example of such is stated above whereby black people view conditions such as depression as weaknesses. In most depression-related suicides among black Americans, the affected members are stigmatized by the community and termed as losers. They are treated as lesser persons, which makes the depression even worse. They drift away on their own and do not contact healthcare professionals to assist in the case. Family members may not be supportive of the issue.

It is almost impossible to treat a patient who has trust issues. A doctor has to create a suitable environment to interview with the patient. It entails making them feel accepted despite the challenges that they have. In many cases, doctors also need to make a proper diagnosis. Most of the signs are not visible by the doctor, and the patient has to explain them in depth. The nurse has to avoid any compliments that are racially unacceptable. It is also wrong to use terms such as Nigger when treating the patient. They should ensure that they pay close attention to the culture of the people. In the United States, many people are not religious. It is essential to base their ideas about the patient's ill health on scientific facts and not on their religion or beliefs. The officer can keep the environment professional.

In conclusion, trust is a basic virtue for the treatment of a patient. Privacy and proper storage of information may lead to the gaining of trust among the patients. In addition to that, increasing the number of black people in the medical sector of the United States will open u more black people to open up to medical services. It will also manipulate the biases that the other races have. It is hard for a very small population to change the perception of the whole nation. Medical facilities have to prove that they can store data safely and without exposure to unwanted parties. Public education is also essential in changing the current state. Encouraging people to choose the medical fraternity is likely to erase the earlier misconceptions. Such misconceptions were made from previous experiments such as the Tuskegee experiment.

References

Alsan, M., & Wanamaker, M. (2017). Tuskegee and the Health of black men. The quarterly journal of Economics, 133(1), 407-455.

Kane, S., & Calnan, M. (2017). Erosion of trust in the medical profession in India: time for doctors to act. International Journal of health policy and Management, 6(1), 5.

Paul, C., & Brookes, B. (2015). The rationalization of unethical research: revisionist accounts of the Tuskegee syphilis study and the New Zealand "unfortunate experiment". American Journal of public health, 105(10), e12-e19.