Medical Sexism Archives

Bengali Women File Class-Action Sexual Assault Lawsuit Against N.Y. Doctor: “Like an Andrew Cuomo of Jackson Heights”

On August 13, four Bengali women from the Jackson Heights neighborhood of Queens, N.Y., filed a class-action lawsuit against Dr. Ferdous Khandker, alleging decades of sexual assault and harassment of dozens of women and girls under the auspices of providing medical care. The women sought out attorney Susan Crumiller, who calls her firm “the feminist litigation firm.”

On the day the class-action lawsuit against Khandker was filed, Ms. spoke with Susan Crumiller to learn more about how the case and what’s at stake.

States, Medical Regulators and Institutions Must Act to End Physician Sexual Abuse

Azza AbuDagga

Patients place a lot of trust in their physicians. Unfortunately, this trust can make patients vulnerable to sexual exploitation by unethical physicians who fail to heed the strict ethical prohibition against this injustice.

The Weekly Pulse: What's With Periods and the COVID Vaccine? Biden Allows Fetal Tissue for Research; Chauvin Verdict "Accountability, Not Justice"

The Weekly Pulse: What’s With Periods and the Vaccine?; Biden Allows Fetal Tissue for Research; Chauvin Verdict “Accountability, Not Justice”

Corinne Ahrens

Why is has it taken a pandemic for people to openly talk about periods?

This week, we discuss reports of people experiencing heavier periods after receiving the vaccine, and how the lack of research on menstruation is hampering our ability to combat vaccine disinformation. We also provide updates on the vaccine rollout both in the U.S. and worldwide, as well as track the latest news in the battle for reproductive justice. Finally, health experts weigh in on the verdict of the Derek Chauvin trial.

The Weekly Pulse: Birth Control Users Question J&J Vaccine Pause; Biden Reverses Domestic Gag Rule

Corinne Ahrens

For The Weekly Pulse, we’ve scoured the most trusted journalistic sources—and, of course, our Twitter feeds—to bring you this week’s most important news stories related to health and wellness.

This week: updates on the pandemic as cases rise worldwide; birth control users question the FDA pause on distribution of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine; the Biden administration bolsters reproductive health by lifting medication abortion restrictions and undoing the domestic gag rule; and more.

“The Doctors Blackwell” Recounts the Journey of the First Woman in Medicine

Janice P. Nimura

Elizabeth Blackwell was the first woman in America to receive a medical degree, in 1849. Becoming a doctor as qualified as any man was a noble ideological quest.

“The idea of winning a doctor’s degree gradually assumed the aspect of a great moral struggle,” she wrote, “and the moral fight possessed immense attraction for me.”

Gender Bias in Health Care Is Playing a Dangerous Role in COVID-19 Care

Isabel Fields

The dismissal of women’s symptoms is an epidemic; women are constantly ignored within the healthcare system, blocking them from receiving the health care they desperately need.

Kamala Harris Committed to Ending the National Rape Kit Backlog

Susan Rose

When women are elected to office they make a difference for woman. Kamala Harris has been committed to resolving the rape kit backlog and ensuring an administrative and legislative system that brings justice to all who have been raped or sexually assaulted.

COVID Sex-Disaggregated Data Reveals Groups Being Left Behind in National Responses

COVID Gender-Disaggregated Data Reveals Groups Being Left Behind in National Responses

Ashley Lynn Priore

The Sex, Gender and COVID-19 project tracks gender differences in infection rates and health outcomes for COVID-19. Launched as a joint project between Global Health 50/50,The International Center for Research on Women and the African Population and Health Research Center, the dashboard provides access to data on 173 countries.

Gender Equality in Medical Research Fosters a Healthier Future for All of Us

Linda Goler-Blount

In 1989, the Physician’s Health Study on the benefits of aspirin for heart disease included 22,000 men and no women—and while we have made great strides toward more representative research in the decades since, women still aren’t included in biomedical research at a proportionate rate.

WATCH: Mothers of Color Called for Justice During the “State of the Mama” Address

Mothering Justice

While President Trump prepared to deliver his “State of the Union” address, Mothering Justice Michigan Executive Director Eboni Taylor offered an address to highlight disparities and inequalities Black mothers face and to challenge the public and policymakers to take action.

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