To be surprised at how shocked I am?

[Hollybollybingbong]

I'd read Invisible Women, Exposing Data Bias in a World Designed for Men byCaroline Criado Perez and realised male symptoms were being incorrectly used to identify illness in women, I thought that was an anomoly.
I've just seen the below petition for Medical schools to include BAME representation in clinical teaching.

Something I'm sure we all imagine happens, teaching how to differentiate symptoms by ethnic groups, simply isn't being done.
www.change.org/p/gmc-medical-schools-must-include-bame-representation-in-clinical-teaching
I knew women were being overlooked, so why am I so shocked that people from a BAME are also being overlooked?

Not really sure which way to vote (if that's what you wanted)

I'd like to say I shocked but I'm not. This world is made for white men. Always has been; I try not to ponder on it though or I think I'd crack.

I think the expression is 'I'm shocked but not surprised'.

It's just shit, it's always been shit and what is even more shit is it is still shit.

I've just started this!

I can see I've made voting tricky, sorry for that.
YANBU to still be shocked at straight, white male normativity, it's shocking, we should have moved on by now.
YABU they can't think of everyone, it's better to just think straight, white, man and hope for the best!

Everybody should read that book

I've heard lots of recommendations for this book so I'm off to get a copy.

I'm utterly not shocked. White men rule the western world. Non-white men rule the rest of it. It's mind fuckingly awful.

Honestly, the book was like an awakening, it was also heartbreaking how irrelevant women are considered to be.
Having felt and recognised that inequality I couldn't let the petition go by without a mention.

Thanks for this thread. The book sounds really interesting. Ordering right now.

Its easier to test medicines on blokes, they don't get pregnant in the middle of trial!

Interesting and dreadful

Something I'm sure we all imagine happens

We do not all imagine any such thing happens.

Is this like how people assume rape victims actually receive trauma care or even just trauma-informed care from the rest of the medical establishment? Or like when people assume 12 sessions of CBT is going to cure someone of PTSD from sexual assault or prolonged abuse?

Cos I hate to break it to you, but the world designed by and for white men falls down there too...

The book is eye openingly shocking on so many levels. We live in societies built for men, by men.

Until more minorities (not just gender) start companies/ own product development/ run companies and have equitable seats at core decision making tables, this won’t change

I found the book fascinating too - women with their pesky non-male hormones complicating things! Why can they just accept medicines may not work on them as successfully as men rather than try and insist that the tests should be designed to include everyone???

Loved this book. Wish Cummings would read it...

I think it's a book that should be in every sixth form. I gave a few people a copy for Christmas. And yes it's equally shocking that BAME representation in medical trials is also not considered of interest to big pharma.

I bought a copy for every niece I hope it makes them angry. I bought a copy for a nephew that expressed interest, I'm disappointed but not surprised that he can't be arsed to read it

I personally think it is racist to think that nonwhite humans are soooo different that we react differently to certain medications? Sex differences I can understand but, race? YABVVU and racist to think there is an actual biological difference.

And I agree BAME representation is important too

I've heard the book mentioned a few times and have now ordered it.

A friend sent me a link to a petition last month to 'Improve Maternal Mortality Rates and Health Care for Black Women in the U.K.' It was shown that, black women in the U.K. are 5 times more likely to die during pregnancy and after childbirth compared to White Women.

I was really really shocked by this.

I personally think it is racist to think that nonwhite humans are soooo different that we react differently to certain medications?

You should open the link as that is not what it says.
It refers to the problem of identifying a rash on dark skin, in particular.

Some doctors don’t even know how to recognise low oxygen in someone with dark skin.

Actuall equipment, like pulse oximeters don’t work properly on dark skin, medical equipment is generally only tested on white people and thought to whether or not it will work on someone who isn’t white just doesn’t seem to happen.

It refers to the problem of identifying a rash on dark skin, in particular.
What problem is that exactly? A rash is a rash. It’s not that hard to identify unless you expect all rashes to be red on white.
You are cresting divisions where there are none all based on colour.

@PlanDeRaccordement

I personally think it is racist to think that nonwhite humans are soooo different that we react differently to certain medications? Sex differences I can understand but, race? YABVVU and racist to think there is an actual biological difference.

Okay, in that case if a white person in hospital with blue lips and a low reading on their oximeter we’ll just ignore that, after all it would be racist to treat different ethnicities in different ways.

like pulse oximeters don’t work properly on dark skin
Only one study found a 1.4% difference in saturation level between lighter skin and darkest skin which was concluded to be not of any statistical difference. And, oh yes, it’s been tested on different skin colours.

a low reading on their oximeter we’ll just ignore that,
Why? An oximeter works no matter what race you are.