Tag: Henrietta Lacks
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Medicine and trust, behind bars
Gail BurkeNew Orleans, Louisiana, United States Lack of trust can be an impenetrable barrier to the doctor-patient relationship and healing. A fundamental principle of medical anthropology is that, when faced with illness, the individual first turns to traditional remedies and cultural practices in which he has faith. If illness persists and vulnerability deepens, he may…
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“Mississippi Appendectomy” and other stories: When silence is complicity
Alida RolEugene, Oregon, United States The world moves fast and it would rather pass u by than 2 stop and c what makes u cry.– Tupac Shakur, “The Rose That Grew from Concrete” She sits perched on the exam table in a too-large gown. We talk about a hysterectomy I have recommended, to remove the fibroid…