African American Health Disparities - Essay Sample

Introduction

The question of how the author uses crucial aspects in the article is depicted evidently in the report. For instance, the author takes the example of advertisements which describe the most dangerous place for an African American is in the womb of his/her mother. He states that during the pregnancy period, the unborn child faces the danger of being killed through abortion. The author says that disparities about health exist all over all races, gender, and class. However, he states that the difference varies most when it pertains to women from the minority group. In the advertisements, the type of messages being displayed by black women also differs from the messages posted about white women. For instance, the words with black women show diseases such as sexually transmitted diseases and diabetes. These types of infections are often associated with promiscuous behaviors, thus implying that the behavior is mostly associated with black American women.

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Furthermore, the author examines the topic of health injustices accorded to African American women and states that it's not a rational decision that even pharmaceutical companies target them in the advertisement of diseases related to sexual promiscuity. The choice solely relies on stereotypes and reproductive injustice. The author also states that the conditions which affect African American women are mostly heart and diabetes. However, advertisements for those two diseases are usually rare. Besides, the behavior, performance, and perception can be significantly affected by the ads, thus affecting the mental health of African American women (Johnson & Williams, 2015). In addition to these health injustices, these women have less access to mental health care.

What the Author Found Problematic About the Topic

The factor which the author found quite problematic is the health injustice accorded to the African American women. He states that despite those women facing all the problems mentioned above, they do not have access to mental health care. The women end up suffering from psychological distress, thus end up committing suicide. Furthermore, education accorded to them based on a one-size-fits-all approach not only fails to address the contextual issues but also complexity to young girls of color. Take an example of the scenario of the black woman in the health facility with the black American doctor. The kind of perception the doctor accords her displays her as a promiscuous individual; thus, she ends up pissed off. The doctor does not consider that she has the right to control her body.

Theoretical Frameworks Used Which Made the Article Seem Critical

Among the conceptual frames used is the definition of reproductive justice by the Asian communities. They state that reproductive justice is defined as the complete physical spiritual, mental, economic, and political well-being of ladies whom these decisions are not biased anyway and rely solely on them. The definition, therefore, includes the well-being of their immediate councilors such as parents. Additionally, the article is based on the pro-life approach to reproductive measures, where it fails to acknowledge the real issues and dwell on criminalizing abortion. The pro-life also fails to address how the system oppresses people of color by allowing injustices based on gender, race, and class (Johnson & Williams, 2015). The author, therefore, argues that we should find an alternative to legitimizing the prison system, such as ideological shift and not a pro-choice to reproductive health.

Ways I Agree or Disagree With the Conclusions Drawn From the Article

From the examples given in the article, it is quite right that the system takes advantage of the negative health messages and therefore uses them to attack black American women. Furthermore, the black women are quite different, and therefore using a solution based on one fits all approach leaves them out. Also, I concur with the observation made that criminalizing abortion and changing legislatures do not lead to ideological shifts. Therefore, I wholly agree that pro-life requires agency, and consequently, society needs to do away with the billboards stigmatizing black women. The idea will promote health, thus promoting life as well.

Reference

Johnson, A., & Williams, K. M. (2015). "The Most Dangerous Place for an African American is in the Womb": Reproductive Health Disparities and Anti-Abortion Rhetoric. Journal of Contemporary Rhetoric, 5.