Every Thursday in the month of June, we will be highlighting health organizations and resources that are closing disparity gaps and will be donating 10% of all sales to one of the incredible organizations on each of our lists. Our first organization is Sistersong
whose mission "is to strengthen and amplify the collective voices of indigenous women and women of color to achieve reproductive justice by eradicating reproductive oppression and securing human rights."
The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine produced a 781-page report entitled Unequal Treatment: Confronting Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Health Care. The report detailed how race often plays a critical role in access to care even if the patient is insured due to a number of factors including geographical access, biases by insurers or providers, a lack of cross-cultural training, disproportionate incentives for doctors, and a lack of diversity amongst providers themselves. The report was published in 2003—almost 40 years after the desegregation of U.S. hospitals and decades of fighting for health equity.
17 years after the report, we still see the same issues. Within our own industry—sexual and reproductive health—education and quality care are not consistent, accessible, and standardized leaving wide need across communities.
Below are the health organizations and resources that are closing these disparity gaps. View all resource guides here.
SistersongSistersong unites four communities of color as the largest multi-ethnic reproductive justice collective. The organization advocates for reproductive rights and provides resources to minority women.
Black Women's Health Imperative
BWHI addresses health access for Black women and girls through health programs and policy change.
Loveland Foundation
Founded by writer and activist Rachel Cargle, Loveland provides access to therapy and healing services for Black women and girls.
National Black Women's Reproductive Justice
Contraceptive equity and comprehensive sex education are key tenets of the NBWRJ, who advocate on behalf of Black women in the commitment to unbiased access.
Therapy for Black Men
Therapy for Black Men is a national resource and directory that connects men of color with therapists and coaches.
National Asian Pacific American Women's Fund
NAPAWF empowers Asian American and Pacific Island women, fighting for reproductive rights and racial equality.
Association of Asian Pacific Community Health Organizations
AAPCHO advocates for culturally appropriate and linguistically accessible health care programming as a response to the healthcare disparities for Asian and Pacific Islander communities.
National Latina Institute for Reproductive Justice
The NLIRJ employs grassroots efforts, policy building and cultural shifts to provide communities access to information on reproductive health.
Browngirl Therapy
Browngirl Therapy, led by Huffington Post Editor Sahaj Kohli, offers therapy resources to first and second-generation immigrants.
National Minority Aids Council
NMAC focuses on health equity for those with HIV AIDS, specifically fighting for education and access within minority communities.
National Alliance on Mental Illness, Minority Programs
NAMI is one of the nation's largest mental health organizations. Their minority programs—Sharing Hope & Compartiendo Esperanza--support Hispanic and Black communities by breaking down stigmas and educating on signs and symptoms.
Cross Cultural Health Care Program
CCHCP aims to bridge the cultural and linguistic gap in healthcare—training medical professionals in cultural competency and inclusion.
Needymeds
NeedyMeds operates to provide medication that is affordable to all, with no bias by age, race, or preference.
National Coalition for Sexual Health
The NCSH supports both patients and providers to make education accessible with more than 100 partner organizations across the country.
Additional Readings
1619: Healthcare, NY Times
Unequal Treatment: Confronting Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Health Care
Reproducing Race: An Ethnography of Pregnancy as a Site of Racialization
Killing the Black Body: Race, Reproduction, and the Meaning of Liberty
Medical Apartheid: The Dark History of Medical Experimentation on Black Americans from Colonial Times to the Present
