Gendered Racism in Reproductive Healthcare

FeminismSex Therapy
Written By Joanne Bagshaw

Read Joanne’s Psychology Today Blog here.

KEY POINTS

  • A recent study finds that Black women's reproductive healthcare remains impacted by the legacy of slavery.

  • Middle-class Black women's social status does not protect them from gendered racism.

  • Coping strategies don't fully protect from racism's impact.

  • This research underscores the urgent need for systemic changes in reproductive healthcare.

In the complex intersection of race, gender, and healthcare, middle-class Black women often find themselves navigating gendered racism, especially within reproductive health systems. A recent data analysis by Howell (2023), published in the Psychology of Women Quarterly, explores these women's experiences with gendered racism, shedding light on the subtle and overt forms of discrimination they face even within the supposed safety net of middle-class status. 

Joanne Bagshaw

Joanne Bagshaw, PhD, LCPC, is the author of The Feminist Handbook and an AASECT-certified sex therapist with a group practice in Maryland. She writes the popular feminist blog, The Third Wave, for Psychology Today. An award-winning professor in psychology and women's studies, Joanne has recently retired from Montgomery College. She’s a same-race domestic adoptee from The Baby Scoop Era.

https://www.joannebagshaw.com/
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