Exploring the Experience of Black Americans Living with Hidradenitis Suppurativa in the United States Healthcare System: A Narrative Review.

Black Americans face persistent healthcare disparities due to a combination of structural, socioeconomic, and historical factors, which can lead to disparities in healthcare quality access and health outcomes. Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is a chronic inflammatory disease that is associated with high physical, socioeconomic, and emotional burdens. HS is an example of the broader heath disparities faced by Black patients in the USA. The overall prevalence of HS in the USA is estimated to be 0.1-1.7%, but the prevalence is more than threefold higher among Black individuals than among White individuals. Black patients with HS often have more severe disease than White patients but face longer diagnostic delays and have less access to specialized dermatologic care. By addressing the barriers to care faced by Black patients with HS, dermatologists and healthcare providers can reduce health disparities and improve outcomes for these patients. The objective of this clinical review is to provide an overview of the disparities in clinical burden, diagnostic delays, and treatment faced by Black patients with HS. We also provide commentary from the physician's perspective on factors that contribute to these health disparities and approaches to reduce barriers to appropriate HS care.