Science Friday Understanding the gynecological health crisis facing Black women
12 snips
May 8, 2026 
Dr. Kemi Doll, a gynecologic oncologist and professor who studies uterine health disparities for Black women, discusses systemic racism and how pain normalization delays diagnosis. She talks about diagnostic bias, limits of common tests, why uterine health is not just fertility, and practical steps to improve care and advocacy.
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Terrible Strength Explains Hidden Suffering
- Black women's inherited resilience helps them survive in a society not built for them.
- Kemi Doll calls this resilience a "terrible strength" because it leads to normalization of severe gynecologic symptoms and being unseen by clinicians.
Routine Visit Revealed Life Threatening Anemia
- A patient came for a routine pap and had life-threatening anemia with hemoglobin of four despite reporting it as normal.
- Kemi Doll used this case to show how Black women normalize incapacitating bleeding and endure without seeking care.
Bias and Normalization Multiply Harm
- Bias in clinical settings leads to misdiagnosis or dismissal of Black women's pain, often coded as STDs or hypersexuality.
- Doll explains this combines with endurance to create a powerful barrier to proper gynecologic care.
