Studies have shown that a lifetime of systemic discrimination takes a significant toll on black people’s health.

Unfortunately, the black American community has a higher rate of uninsurance and as a result, is more likely to be underserved in the medical community.

Planned Parenthood is one of the nation’s leading providers of high-quality, affordable health care and is the nation’s largest provider of sex education. The organization’s mission includes providing healthcare and health resources to black communities across the country.

The nonprofit has more than 600 health centers that provide millions with valuable healthcare services and resources such as contraception, testing and treatment for sexually transmitted infections (STIs), lifesaving cancer screenings and safe, legal abortion.

In 2016,16 percent of Planned Parenthood patients were black.

“Planned Parenthood serves people in our community regardless of their insurance status, which is hugely important,” Dr. Raegan McDonald-Mosley, the chief medical officer at Planned Parenthood of Maryland, told Blavity. [Ed Note: Dr. McDonald-Mosley previously served as the chief medical officer of Planned Parenthood Federation of America.]

“Black people are more likely to be uninsured, or they rely on Medicaid, so Planned Parenthood’s actions in the efforts to pass the Affordable Care Act back in 2010 were hugely important to increase access to all people, but specifically to people who have faced barriers to access healthcare historically,” she added.

A long history of anti-black racism, along with other systemic barriers have contributed to income inequality. Because of this, black people in the U.S. are more likely to rely on federally funded programs to access essential and lifesaving health care.

Nia Martin-Robinson, Planned Parenthood's director of black leadership and engagement, is making efforts to ensure many people of color get the care they need.

“As the director of black leadership and engagement, I’m incredibly excited about the opportunity to really expand our partnerships and make sure that we’re working alongside black communities to dismantle oppressive systems and key areas that are going to be preventing advancements and health equity,” Martin-Robinson said.

“And that’s not just traditional healthcare, but it's also looking at and working to eradicate issues that prevent economic justice, issues that prevent environmental justice and issues that prevent folks from being able to have the opportunity to live in communities that are healthy and safe and allow them to live lives of dignity.”

Planned Parenthood doesn’t just serving black women but black men, as well. Eleven percent of the nonprofit’s black patients identify as male. They are the fastest growing demographic at Planned Parenthood across the nation.

“We’re seeing more male patients now than ever,” McDonald-Mosley said. “The most common reason they come to us is for STI testing and treatment, and we also do rapid HIV testing as part of our STI testing. More and more of our health centers are also offering PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis) and PEP (post-exposure prophylaxis) services [to prevent the transmission of HIV], some health centers provide vasectomy or preventative contraception to men, and some of our health centers are even providing primary care.”

Among the issues the black community faces, black people who are LGBTQ face added barriers such as homophobia and transphobia which can result in medical discrimination and trouble finding a culturally competent provider. Planned Parenthood is striving to break down those barriers.

“As a queer black woman, I know all too well the additional layer of hardship that my sexual identity has added to my seeking of medical care,” Martin-Robinson said. “Planned Parenthood really believes and feels like it's necessary to fight to make sure that patients can come to us to access safe nonjudgmental and culturally competent care.”

“We do that all around the country, and we’re also working consistently to provide training for our affiliates and making sure that around the country, LGBTQ patients can come to us for care for their specific community. For instance, being able to access PrEP and PEP and also being able to receive gender affirming hormone therapy.”

Martin-Robinson said she also wants to make sure that Planned Parenthood is also a place that people have access to quality sexual reproductive health care, no matter their immigration or refugee status.

“You know, right now we are living under a culture of fear, and that culture of fear has people forgoing the necessary sexual reproductive health care that they need to live their best life,” Martin-Robinson said. “So, for us as an inclusive healthcare provider, it’s important the communities that are surrounding and helping us know and understand that we are an inclusive health center.”

Both women firmly believe that it is essential for black people to be educated and to create a dialogue about health care and health services as early as possible.

Black people have much higher rates of cardiovascular disease, diabetes and HIV. McDonald-Mosley finds it vital for us to educate ourselves so we won't have to continue these inequities. She wants millennials to live healthier lives, have longevity, contribute to the world in meaningful ways and not be limited by these health concerns.

“I really encourage [people in our community] to reach out to their local provider, whether it’s at Planned Parenthood or somewhere else, and just have a general health exam and talk to their provider about ways that they can make healthy choices in their lives,” McDonald-Mosley said. “They should know their HIV status and know their gonorrhea and chlamydia status. They should talk to their partners and make sure that they’re having these difficult, but important conversations so that everyone can live the healthiest lives as possible.”

Martin-Robinson says that continuing to have these conversations is going to help us eradicate the stigma and shame that can contribute to prohibiting us from having the best sexual and reproductive healthcare services that we could have.

“For us it's not just important to be an inclusive provider, but to make sure that we’re also a part of eradicating the system of oppression and working to dismantle the barrier that people have to receiving sexual and reproductive health care. We want to be and strive to be a part of the fight for an equitable healthcare system overall in the United States.”