Why Intersectionality Matters in Heathcare

There is no such thing as a single-issue struggle because we do not live single-issue lives AUDRE LORDE

The intersectional theory states that systems of prejudice, disadvantage, power and privilege come together, where fixed and fluid identities intersect, superimpose and at times can partially dissociate from each other without ever fully divorcing from each other, can lead to unequal or different social experiences. Intersectionality helps us to understand the current working paradigms in place, the complexity of being human and what factors ties us to the human experience. This means that in the end, intersectionality is natural as every person is and lives a both dynamic and intersectional life.

So how does intersectionality come into play in the world of healthcare?

WHO (World Health Organisation) recognised and established a list of social determinants of health (SDH) that influences a person's health status. In healthcare, we tend to isolate social and demographic determinants of health such as age, sex, gender, race, unemployment, housing, class... When in reality, health disparities and equities do not exist in isolation, but rather emerges, sticks together and then moves together as a flowing stream of multiple frameworks, systems and attitudes that are reciprocal in nature. It is both yours and my reality when we navigate our health though the healthcare system.

To touch upon recent events happening in America regarding abortion rights ( to overturn Roe v Wade) and concerns of a Louisiana proposal to criminalise abortion-in essence to equate abortions to homicides-may not affect the lives of some women, but can have negative repercussions for other women. For women of colour, as well as working class, victims of abuse, lesbian and neurodivergent women, the fertility of their bodies has been politicised and subjugated by prejudice ideologies and institutions historically, culturally and currently rather than focusing on and prioritizing their reproductive health and well-being.

And with regards to policing and highlighting issues and reproductive rights affecting men, it is interesting to observe the omission and quiteness of such issues in society and the public domain. When I undertook a dermatological placement this year, I came across a prospective father with a severe case of eczema. One of his main concerns he had was whether immunosuppressants could affect his ability to have a child to which he got no decisive answer due in the scarcity in medical literature or medical thought -being in pain as a man and wanting to have a family.

In dermatology, the clinical handbook published in 2020, "Mind the Gap", by Malone Mukwende in a way has revolutionised the medical speciality, shining light on how different skin conditions present in brown and black skin types. Still in many areas of Medicine, we need to actively engage in inquiry and praxis to address these, "unequal or different social experiences" within healthcare which is especially true for patients with rare diseases.

Intersectionality and Being a Rare Disease Patient: The Story of Lisa

I wanted to explore and further understand intersectionality in-depth. I got to know and interview Lisa (pseudonym), a 62-year-old white female living with the rare condition mucous membrane pemphigoid through the PEM Friends UK patient support group. While Lisa’s case is an individual narrative, it throws light on the challenges encountered and lived by the patients with rare diseases within the wider society. Please read my piece on "Intersectionality and Being a Rare Disease Patient: The Story of Lisa"

in the 5th edition of the PEM Lives Magazine which you can access in the link below.

PEM Lives Magazine