Bogan Eushavia V, Harr Elondra D
School of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA.
Department of Public Health Education, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Greensboro, NC, USA.
Glob Adv Integr Med Health. 2025 Apr 8;14:27536130251332568. doi: 10.1177/27536130251332568. eCollection 2025 Jan-Dec.
Black women and Black femme-identifying individuals (referred to as womxn) have developed alternative health practices that support their well-being when navigating oppressive systems. Within the U.S. healthcare system, Black womxn are disproportionally impacted by inequities and discriminatory practices, leading to higher incidences of chronic conditions, limited healthcare access, and higher mortality rates. Integrative medicine has not yet adequately examined or incorporated healing modalities practiced by Black womxn and therefore has not investigated its potential to foster more inclusive care.
This critical narrative review aims to explore the contributions of Black womxn to integrative medicine, identify components of Black feminist healing modalities, and discuss future directions for integrating these practices into integrative medicine.
A critical review was conducted using databases including PubMed, JSTOR, Taylor & Francis Online, and Sage to gather academic and praxis-focused sources. Books and films related to Black womxn healing practices were also examined. Sources were selected based on their focus on non-Western, alternative, and complementary therapies developed and practiced by Black womxn in the United States.
We identified three key categories of Black feminist healing modalities: (1) Communal Care and Communication, which includes practices like storytelling, gossip, and community gathering to foster resilience; (2) Art as a Form of Cultural Strengthening, which emphasizes the use of creative expression for healing and resistance; and (3) Spirituality. These modalities provide tools for Black womxn to resist systemic oppression and promote well-being.
Black feminist healing modalities are crucial for creating inclusive models of care that address the specific health needs of marginalized communities. Incorporating these modalities into healthcare can contribute to health equity by offering culturally relevant and holistic approaches to health for Black womxn and other historically minoritized groups. Future research should focus on developing evidence-based practices for integrating these modalities into clinical settings.
黑人女性和认同女性身份的黑人个体（简称为女性）已经形成了一些替代性的健康实践方式，这些方式在她们应对压迫性体系时有助于维持自身健康。在美国医疗体系中，黑人女性受到不公平和歧视性做法的影响尤为严重，这导致慢性病发病率更高、医疗服务可及性受限以及死亡率更高。整合医学尚未充分研究或纳入黑人女性所采用的治疗方式，因此也未探究其在促进更具包容性的医疗服务方面的潜力。
本批判性叙述综述旨在探讨黑人女性对整合医学的贡献，确定黑人女性主义治疗方式的组成部分，并讨论将这些实践纳入整合医学的未来方向。
通过使用包括PubMed、JSTOR、泰勒与弗朗西斯在线数据库以及Sage等在内的数据库进行批判性综述，以收集侧重于学术和实践的资料来源。还查阅了与黑人女性治疗实践相关的书籍和电影。根据资料来源对美国黑人女性所开发和采用的非西方、替代性和补充性疗法的关注程度来进行选择。
我们确定了黑人女性主义治疗方式的三个关键类别：（1）社区关怀与沟通，包括讲故事、闲聊和社区聚会等做法，以增强恢复力；（2）作为文化强化形式的艺术, 强调利用创造性表达来实现治愈和抵抗；（3）灵性。这些方式为黑人女性提供了抵制系统性压迫和促进健康的工具。
黑人女性主义治疗方式对于创建包容性的医疗模式至关重要，这些模式能够满足边缘化社区的特定健康需求。将这些方式纳入医疗保健可以通过为黑人女性和其他历史上被边缘化的群体提供与文化相关的整体健康方法来促进健康公平。未来的研究应侧重于开发基于证据的做法，以便将这些方式纳入临床环境。
