Do No Harm Poll: Black Americans Do Not Trust Politicized “Gender Neutral” Terms in Medicine

RICHMOND, VA; July 30, 2024 – This week, Do No Harm released the findings of a poll that revealed a vast majority of African American adults are greatly opposed to politicized medicine. 

“Our polling proves that the ideologues pushing nonsensical identity politics in medicine are out of touch with the very people they claim to speak for. Black Americans are rejecting the push to redefine race and gender in medicine in furtherance of a progressive political agenda,” said Do No Harm Senior Fellow Benita Cotton-Orr. “The data proves that, like patients of all backgrounds, minority patients want doctors that are highly qualified and don’t indulge in identity politics. Prioritizing medical excellence for patients’ individual needs is the only way to restore the trust that has been eroded.”

Key findings: 

• Nearly 93 percent of black adults prefer the term “mother” to the term “birthing person.” 
• Black adults are significantly less likely to trust medical professionals who use the terms “birthing people” or “people with uteruses” instead of mothers. 
• Nearly 94 percent of black adults prefer the term “breastfeeding” to the term “chestfeeding.” 
• Black adults are significantly less comfortable with medical professionals who introduce themselves with pronouns. 
• More than 88 percent of black adults say having a highly competent medical professional matters more than one who looks like them.  

Click here for more information about the survey. 

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Do No Harm, established in April 2022, has rapidly gained recognition and made significant strides in its mission to safeguard healthcare from ideological threats. With over 10,000 members, including doctors, nurses, physicians, and concerned citizens across all 50 states and 14 countries, DNH has achieved over 7,800 media hits in top-tier publications and garnered widespread attention through numerous broadcast news appearances.