The Pain Gap

This was another audiobook I picked at random while browsing my library catalog but it instantly felt like it was something I'll like reading. And it was an interesting mix.

I absolutely loved reading the personal stories - both of the author and her mom back in Bangladesh and the conditions of healthcare, especially for women. I felt very sympathetic to the situation because until a few decades ago, it was pretty much the same in India as well. But it was the chapters about how racism and misogyny drastically affects the health outcomes for women of color in America that hit me hard. Just like the author, I never expected that this was the reality in the richest country in the world, and though I've personally not experienced anything of such sort, it's hard to digest that many women suffer so much just to get the right diagnosis or medication. I've read numerous horror stories from women on Twitter and this book reinforced the same. And I absolutely detested the chapter about the global gag rule and how US govt uses its monetary aid as a tool to impose its religious hegemony over the poor and destitute countries in the world, negatively impacting the thousands and millions of women who actually need that aid.

I didn't realize that this book would include issues that women of color have faced during this pandemic. I guess I just didn't see when it released. These were some heartbreaking stories. But many of the chapters then talk about the policy issues on a more broader level and it felt like a disconnect from the other half of the book which was about women's stories. While I appreciate everything the author talks about policy changes that need to be made at the federal and state level to better the health outcomes of women of color, I also felt that it missed the point which the personal experiences in the book were making - any amount of policy changes can't change the bias and prejudice and discrimination that exists in medicine and it's practitioners because racism and misogyny is so entrenched in the system. It needs both a change at the education level to remove bias from the teachings at medical school, as well as a personal reckoning for all the doctors and other medical staff with their own prejudices. And the women advocating for their own health can definitely use some pointers in how to do it in a way that they are heard by the doctors and treated with the dignity and respect they deserve.

Overall, this was an informative but difficult read and I learnt quite a bit which I didn't know. But I also thought it was a bit too broad for it's short length and couldn't cover everything it needed to in a succinct manner. However, I would still suggest you check it out if it's a topic that interests you.