Married to Medicine‘s Dr. Jackie Walters caught internet flak for declaring Black women “cry wolf” during pregnancies and associated it with their adequate access to health care. Three years later, she apologized.
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The old livestream reappeared after the OBGYN had a virtual discussion with VP Kamala Harris last week about Black women having the highest maternal mortality rates.
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Needless to say, many didn’t find Dr. Walters to be the best “expert” for the discussion due to her comments made during a 2020 YouTube livestream with her castmate Dr. Heavenly Kimes.
“As African American women, we want to also make sure you’re being serious with your doctor and not playing the game…because then we see you 25 times in the pregnancy,” Dr. Walters said during the livestream. “It’s hard to believe that there’s a true problem when there’s a true problem.”
Black women didn’t take kindly to Dr. Walters pinning the blame on Black women when it is known that we are more likely to receive the worst treatment from doctors than white women. Racism plagues America’s healthcare system!
Additionally, many were shocked at how a Black OBGYN could reiterate a myth that has permeated this country for years that Black women’s “thicker skin” hinders them from feeling pain.
According to a 2020 study by the Association of American Medical Colleges, 40% of first and second-year medical students believe “Black people’s skin is thicker than white people’s” and “Black people’s nerve endings are less sensitive than white people’s.” It’s why Black people are 22% less likely to receive pain medication than white people.
So, it’s concerning that a Black woman who cares for Black women would pinpoint the blame of physicians’ inadequate treatment on these women expressing their pain.
Former Married to Medicine cast mate Buffie Purselle has been vocal about Dr. Walters’ ways. In a Nov. 17, 2019, episode of the show, Buffie was dumbfounded when the OBGYN exposed her private infertility issues to a room full of strangers to promote her book, “The Queen V.”
Purselle spoke about the controversy surrounding her castmate, slamming Bravo for allowing the OBGYN to be the expert in the discussion instead of Dr. Simone Whitmore.
“First of all, Jackie don’t have any regular Black clients, allegedly,” Purselle said, adding she catered to rich Black women who paid out of pocket more than those who used health insurance.
She said Dr. Walter’s clients “without a coin” would have to prove “without a shadow of doubt” that they’re in pain.
“And you’re a Black doctor saying this f**king s**t,” the former cast member said. She dove into a story about how her aunt died from childbirth while her daughter (Purselle’s niece) survived.
Her aunt reported to her doctor the headaches and pains she felt, but the doctor didn’t believe the aunt.
“She didn’t believe her,” Purselle said. “And I remember Jan. 8 like it was yesterday, and there were so many things that I had wished I’d done differently. My aunt wasn’t feeling well.”
She said her family had a funeral, and the reality star recalled telling her aunt not to go to the funeral and to rest. The next day, she died from a stroke.
“All because her doctor thought she wasn’t really in pain.”
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The 65-year-old OBGYN took to Instagram on Saturday, Dec. 23, to apologize and clarify.
“To Black women and mothers, including your friends, families, and the medical community, who care for you. Because my words left you heard and feeling unsupported,” Dr. Walters said. “I want you to know. I hear you. I see you. I believe you, and I apologize from the bottom of my heart. I am brokenhearted over this. The guilt and reality that I have hurt and offended people, especially black women and some of my own patients, pains me to my core.”
She continued, ” If I could say it all over again. Here’s how I’d say. When experiencing a health matter, keep a log of your concerns and symptoms so that you can provide them accurately to your physician. Have a buddy system. Someone who can advocate for you when you’re with a physician, especially when pregnant. Know that a second and third opinion is not just sometimes warranted but necessary. I thank you for taking time from your holiday to tune into my apology and my self-dedication to Black women and health care. I’ve been shaking and moved to be better.”
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