I was catching up with a longtime friend and as our conversation turned to her health, I realized with a sinking feeling that I had been having the same conversation with a few of my close friends over the past year. Our conversation was about her reproductive health, specifically about the current effects of fibroids on her health and well-being.
In some form or fashion, I had been having the same discussion with several of my Black women friends through our years of young adulthood. Fibroids are benign tumors of muscular and fibrous tissues that typically develop in the wall of the uterus. However, their effects are anything but benign and harmless. I’ve witnessed several friends’ lives be disrupted in real ways, including having to accept the possibility of infertility.
In addition to fibroids, news reports in recent years have detailed how widespread instances of reproductive problems in Black women, including the mortality of Black women after childbirth. Recent news headlines highlight the disparity in our care compared to our non-Black counterparts in the United States. And this is affecting us regardless of income level. In just the past few years, well known women including Serena Williams and Remy Ma have shared their harrowing experiences whilst giving birth to their children.
Let’s bring this full circle and closer to home. I’ve been blessed to connect with a group of like-minded Black women in the Portland area. We’ve had a group chat going for at least two years now and like clockwise, every 6 to 8 months, one of us seeks out a Black woman physician. Every go around the replies are typically the same 2-3 names of doctors here in the Portland area. Are these the only Black medical providers in town? Surely there must be more! Here at PDX Black Unicorn, we want to do our small part in being a resource to find more healthcare providers that we can relate to. We’ve found a compiled list on Portland’s NAACP page to be a resource to our readers in search of medical providers that look like us.