Connection between Racism and Sexual Health: Insights and Backing
In the United States, racism significantly affects the sexual health of racial and ethnic minority groups, creating barriers to healthcare access and exacerbating health disparities. Here are some key ways racism influences sexual health:
**Impact on Access to Healthcare**
Racial and ethnic minority groups often encounter structural barriers, such as implicit bias in healthcare systems, leading to differential treatment and reduced access to quality care. This can worsen existing health disparities, including those related to sexual health.
Racism also contributes to disparities in healthcare access and quality, affecting the diagnosis, treatment, and management of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and other sexual health issues.
**Effects on Sexual Behavior and Networks**
Racism shapes social determinants and behaviors, influencing sexual networks and practices. For instance, models like the HIV Ecology Model suggest that racism can affect sexual behaviors by altering social environments and stress levels.
**Mental Health and Stress**
Racism and minority stressors can exacerbate mental health issues, such as anxiety and trauma, which are linked to poorer sexual health outcomes. Racially and ethnically minoritized individuals, especially LGBTQIA+ members, experience compounded stress from both racial and gender identity discrimination.
Experiences of racism can be traumatic and contribute to the development of PTSD, further complicating sexual health outcomes due to increased stress and reduced access to supportive services.
**Fertility and Reproductive Health**
Experiences of discrimination, particularly among racial and ethnic minorities, are associated with reduced fecundability, highlighting the impact of structural racism on reproductive health.
**Prevalence of STIs and Bacterial Vaginosis (BV)**
Higher rates of STIs are observed among some racial or ethnic minority groups compared to white people. For instance, BV has higher rates among Black and Mexican American females, with Black females having a prevalence rate of 51.6% compared to 23.2% for white, non-Hispanic females.
**Addressing the Issue**
Inclusive sexual health services can be found using resources such as the Hospital for Special Surgery, National Partnership for Women & Families, Ford Foundation, San Francisco AIDS Foundation, National Health Law Program, Urban Institute, NAZ, Race Equality Foundation, and Black Mental Health Alliance.
Those who experience high psychological stress levels are 2.2 times more likely to develop BV, and African American females experience exposure to higher psychological stressors than white females. Seeking help from organizations that understand its impact, such as Therapy for Latinx, Therapy for Black Girls, Black Emotions and Mental Health Collective, and Black Mental Health Alliance, may be beneficial.
In 2018, African Americans accounted for the majority of new HIV diagnoses in the U.S. A 2018 study found that Black and Latinx females reported a greater frequency of gendered racism compared to white females, and had a greater mistrust of the medical systems and government relating to birth control.
Addressing the detrimental impact of racism on sexual health among racial and ethnic minorities requires targeted interventions and systemic changes to address these disparities. Health equity, the idea that everyone should have the chance to be as healthy as possible, can only be achieved when factors such as discrimination or a lack of resources are addressed.
- Pfizer, in collaboration with numerous multi-cultural organizations, has initiated research projects focusing on race and mental health, aiming to explore the connection between racial biases, stress, and mental health, which in turn impact sexual health.
- The science community has recognized the need to prioritize health-and-wellness research for racial and ethnic minorities, given the blocked access to sexual health care and the mental health challenges these groups face due to racial disparities.
- A notable finding in recent studies has shed light on the heightened prevalence of Sexual Transmitted Infections (STIs) and Bacterial Vaginosis (BV) among Hispanic and African American women, a stark reflection of the impact of racism on sexual health.
- To combat the adverse effects of racism on mental health and sexual health, various health-and-wellness organizations have established mental-health specific resources and services for racial and ethnic minorities, such as Therapy for Latinx and Black Mental Health Alliance.
- In an effort to promote health equity and eradicate health disparities, initiatives have been put in place to increase the accessibility of inclusive sexual health services, with organizations like the Hospital for Special Surgery and the National Health Law Program playing key roles in this movement.
