Summary of two articles

In the article “Barriers to health care and health-seeking behaviors faced by

Black men” authors Cessaly T. Cheatham, Debra J. Barksdale, and Shielda G. Rodgers discuss the barriers that African American males face in health care. They discuss some influences that decrease the health care of these men as socioeconomic status where many cannot afford to pay for healthcare like health care insurance or their jobs do not come with health benefits. Another factor that influences this lack of health care is masculinity where the man does not think he needs that kind of care and that he is strong enough without it. Often African American men do not know how important health care is to the quality of life and therefore do not seek it out for themselves. A study found that many African American males felt discriminated against by medical professionals and that hindered them from seeking care. For example the study found that, “54% of Black and23% of White participants perceived that race/ethnicity was often a barrier to receiving appropriate health care.” (557). If an African American male does not have the support of his family to seek out health care he is less likely to and some may not believe in modern medicine. This article also describes how to improve patient doctor/health care provider relationship. Some ways of improving the relationship is through nonverbal body language such as eye contact and taking time with the patient. Also being more available like providing a personal phone number or putting out public service announcements can improve how the patient feels and increase the likely hood of seeking medical help in the future. The government provides a lot of extra help to other minority groups, but they are not the only ones who face oppressed medical care. For example the authors state this plight when they write, “Most government subsidized programs are tailored toward infants, children, pregnant women, the disabled, and the elderly on the premise that these groups are those most in need of care and the least likely to be able to afford care. However, this list should be reexamined for the possibility of inclusion of Black men.” This minority group is lacking the medical care they need and through public awareness their quality of life can be raised.

In the article “Access to Health and Health Care: How Race and Ethnicity Matter,” authors Lynne D. Richardson and Marlaina Norris explain how race and ethnicity create differences in quality of health care for individuals. They claim that though there are differences in not only health care that affect a person’s quality of health such as health education and income of an individual. Because there are race problems inhibits the education and hence income of African Americans there healthy quality of life is reduced. The authors discuss the factors that contribute to the poor health care minorities such as African Americas receive such as the physical environment they grow up in. “There are data relating the level of segregation to rates of morbidity and mortality; specifically, residential segregation is related to elevated risks of cause-specific and overall adult mortality, infant mortality, and tuberculosis.” This quote shows that certain physical areas where minorities reside are more likely to have poor health care. The article also covers factors such as the social environment and how this plays a role in quality of health care as well as actual health insurance. Studies found that, “The uninsured are more likely to die early and to have poor health status; they are diagnosed at later stages of disease and get less treatment than those with insurance.” All of these probabilities point to the fact that the minorities such as African Americas have poorer quality of life as far as health care is concerned because they cannot afford the benefits that health insurance provides people with. Their mortality rate is overrepresented in many areas and linked to the lack of insurance. This is not only racists but it is unfair and unjust to the African American minority group as a whole.