How Do Societal Views of Masculinity and Femininity Impact Diagnostics?

Dr. Dana Powell Baker: Again, this can create a barrier challenge for some who may have received some sort of mistreatment as a patient, who may not feel safe or feel like that clinical environment has been essentially created to where they can feel like they're in a brave space to show up as their full authentic selves and receive the same level of care and treatment that is provided to anyone else, despite what masculinity or femininity traits that may be perceived as cultural or societal norms. And so, again, are we creating these medical or clinical environments to be embracing of those...of different backgrounds, of different experiences, of different identities is really what it comes down to. And it's not for us as medical providers or practitioners to dictate or determine how someone should show up in that medical environment.

It is really the oath and commitment that we made to serve all patients. And in serving all patients, they should feel like they can show up as their authentic selves, regardless of what society has dictated or determined to be a normal, I'll say, demonstration of masculinity or femininity. I feel like we, as a culture, as a global community, are evolving in what people look like, how people appear, how people sound, how essentially all show up in the world. But again, does that take away from everyone having an equitable right, equitable access to quality of care? And that's really where the focus should be and how we can come together as a healthcare community to really drive that message home and then demonstrate our collaboration across healthcare disciplines to ensure that we are providing the absolute optimal care for our patients, their full selves.