"Just lose weight" the lazy bigoted doctor's mantra
I Had Cancer - And Medical Fat-Shaming Could Have Killed Me http://everydayfeminism.com/2015/09/medical-fat-shaming-danger/
Basically, young woman coughs violently from senior high to her twenties and keeps getting told oh it's an infection, here's antibiotics, lose some weight or it's GERD lose some weight while getting sicker and sicker. It was cancer all along. It's amazing she's alive.
Why investigate further when you can diagnose fat and feel like you've done your job.
On a related note, a woman just told the story in comments yesterday that she went in with appendicitis but docs were just sure she was pregnant or had an STD instead because she was young and black. Anyone knows time is of the essence when your appendix might burst--and of course hers did. :/
I don't expect all doctors to be magically free of bias. I DO expect them to question their bias regularly. How would I diagnose this if the patient were white, were thin, were straight, and so on?
Basically, young woman coughs violently from senior high to her twenties and keeps getting told oh it's an infection, here's antibiotics, lose some weight or it's GERD lose some weight while getting sicker and sicker. It was cancer all along. It's amazing she's alive.
Why investigate further when you can diagnose fat and feel like you've done your job.
On a related note, a woman just told the story in comments yesterday that she went in with appendicitis but docs were just sure she was pregnant or had an STD instead because she was young and black. Anyone knows time is of the essence when your appendix might burst--and of course hers did. :/
I don't expect all doctors to be magically free of bias. I DO expect them to question their bias regularly. How would I diagnose this if the patient were white, were thin, were straight, and so on?