Black women face several challenges in healthcare, including:
Racial Bias: Black women often experience racial bias in healthcare, which can result in misdiagnosis or under-treatment of their medical conditions.
Lack of Access to Healthcare: Black women are more likely to be uninsured or underinsured, which can lead to delays in seeking medical care or not receiving necessary medical treatment.
Maternal Health Disparities: Black women are at higher risk for maternal mortality and morbidity compared to other racial groups, which may be due to a lack of access to quality prenatal care, racial bias in healthcare, and chronic stress caused by racism.
Mental Health: Black women are more likely to experience mental health challenges such as depression and anxiety, which may go untreated due to a lack of access to mental healthcare or stigma associated with seeking mental healthcare.
Chronic Conditions: Black women are more likely to have chronic health conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, and obesity, which can lead to higher healthcare costs and a reduced quality of life.
As a provider of women’s health Dr. Kourtney is exquisitely aware of these challenges and there are recent trends that are calling these disparities out and an increasing public awareness of these issues. However as a hormonal specialist she is also keenly aware of how these disparities also extend to hormonal issues such as menopause which unfortunately seem to not always get as much press, coverage or attention. Black women face several health disparities in menopause, including: earlier onset of perimenopause, more severe symptoms, and a higher perception of reduced quality of life. Black women are also at higher risk for several health conditions that can occur during or after menopause, including heart disease, osteoporosis, and breast cancer.
Overall, these health disparities highlight the importance of addressing the unique experiences and challenges that Black women face during menopause. This can involve improving access to quality healthcare, increasing awareness about the risks associated with menopause, and addressing social and cultural factors that impact Black women's health outcomes. The purpose of this Community Circle focus group is to:
Review the increased risks that Black women face during the perimenopause transition
Discuss strategies on how Black women can better advocate for themselves at their doctor’s office for menopause treatment options
Discuss what information Black women need to make sure is reviewed as they interface with the healthcare system during the perimenopausal transition.
Out of an acknowledgement of the need for more BIPOC centered spaces and discussion this event is only open to participants who identify as a Black woman. As a person of color and a physician Dr. Kourtney understands that when people of color are together, there can be healing, improved health care outcomes and reclamation of parts of ourselves that have been repressed. This is not just an opinion but it is also supported by evidence based research. In BIPOC focused spaces Black women can redefine themselves and support one another in embracing who we are and the unique health challenges that face their community. For people who do not identify as a Black woman please trust in BIPOC voices that say that these spaces are needed and we encourage you to support the development of these spaces. If the presence of spaces for people of color engenders discomfort, insecurity, or anger for you then we advise that you see those emotions as an opportunity to look deeper within oneself to ask why.
What Is The Community Circle?
Dr. Kourtney’s Community Circle was created as a love offering to our community. Circles represent the connectedness of everything in nature and in holistic healing all body systems are also interwoven and connected. Dr. Kourtney established this global Community Circle to create a safe and equitable space for the community to be able to come together on a regular basis to participate in different activities all geared towards healing of the mind, body and the spirit. Although everyone walks an individual journey to their most optimal health sometimes it can be beneficial to come together for some activities for group support. All Community Circle classes are free to members of Dr. Kourtney’s community (which is also free to join!).
The class is facilitated by Dr. Kourtney on Zoom and is limited to 100 participants.