The Role of Structural Gendered Racism in Effective Healthcare Utilization among Black American Women with Herpes Simplex Virus

The sexual health of Black women has been compromised by racial and discriminatory healthcare practices from slavery through current medical and institutional barriers to care. This paper proposes a conceptual framework that identifies the link between stigma, gendered racism, and historical underpinnings that contribute to ineffective healthcare utilization of Black women diagnosed with the chronic sexually transmitted infection (STI), genital herpes. This paper also draws attention to different social factors that act as barriers to effective healthcare utilization and influence the health outcomes of Black women beyond individual factors. Using a socio-ecological framework, this paper reviews multi-level (i.e., individual, interpersonal, community, and institutional/policy) influences of the experience of genital herpes among Black women. Recommendations are provided to improve the ability of health systems and medical providers to deliver appropriate services to diverse populations, thereby improving healthcare utilization and reducing disparities for Black women.

Structural Gendered Racism Revealed in Pandemic Times: Intersectional Approaches to Understanding Race and Gender Health Inequities in COVID-19

The pandemic reveals; the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has brought the historically rooted inequities of our society to the forefront. We argue that an intersectional analysis is needed to further help peel back the veil that the pandemic has begun to reveal. We identify structural gendered racism—the totality of interconnectedness between structural racism and structural sexism in shaping race and gender inequities—as a root cause of health problems among Black women and other women of color, which has been amplified during the pandemic. We show that women of color occupy disadvantaged positions within households, occupations, and health care institutions, and therefore face heightened risk for COVID-19 and lowered resources for mitigating the impact of the deadly virus. Intersectional analyses and solutions must be centered to also reveal, we hope, a new way forward.

Gendered Deference: Perceptions of Authority and Competence among Latina/o Physicians in Medical Institutions

Prior studies note that gender- and race-based discrimination routinely inhibit women’s advancement in medical fields. Yet few studies have examined how gendered displays of deference and demeanor are interpreted by college-educated and professional Latinas/os who are making inroads into prestigious and masculinized nontraditional fields such as medicine. In this article, we elucidate how gender shapes perceptions of authority and competence among the same pan-ethnic group, and we use deference and demeanor as an analytical tool to examine these processes. Our analysis underscores three main points of difference: (1) gendered cultural taxation; (2) microaggressions from women nurses and staff and; (3) the questioning of authority and competence to elucidate how gendered racism manifests for Latina/o doctors. Taking demonstrations of gendered deference and demeanors are vital to transforming medical schools and creating more inclusive spaces for all physicians and patients. Conclusions are based on experiences reported in interviews with 48 Latina/o physicians and observation in their places of work in Southern California.