But it can also take youyears longerthan other people to get diagnosed and treated.
We asked them what has to changeand whyto ensure people get the treatment they need when they need it.
Dr. Sokumbi says she personally spends time educating other doctors about HS.
Gracia Lam
We’re having all of these wonderful conversations within our specialty about ways to build relationships with patients.
People want to feel listened to.
The efforts appear to be working.
More derms of color
The best person to treat HS is still typically a dermatologist.
They have more training to recognize HS in theearly stagesand help prevent serious complications down the road.
As SELF has previously reported, it can help to see someonewho has experience treating people of color.
The fact that only 3% of derms are Black can make that challenging, says Dr. Okoye.
But people are trying to bring more diversity to the specialty, she says.
Bringing more students of color into the field is also critical, Dr. Okoye says.
(Dr. Okoye serves as co-chair of the Skin of Color Societys Scientific Committee).
I have many colleagues who are not Black who I would trust with my family members.
Some treatments for HS, likelaser hair removal, arent frequently covered by insurance.
(Damaging the hair follicles can help curb the inflammatory process.)
They may not start it for weeks because we have this long, protracted process.
you might also find adatabase of specialty clinicson the HS Foundation site.
And as SELF previously reported, some medical schools offer low-cost or no-cost treatment.
Patients with HS have other comorbidities too, Dr. Sokumbi says.
You go, Well, I have other health problems.
I see other docs.
You are more likely to put that on the back burner.
By contrast, 68% of participants were white.
This lack of representation doesnt help in terms of better treatments or understanding of the condition.
The organization held a diversity in clinical trials summit in 2022.
Of course, its not your responsibility to remedy years of racial bias in scientific research.
Dont participate, she says, unless you feel comfortable and all of your concerns have been addressed.
And so they want patients to be able to say, Aha, this medicine will work for me.
Or, Aha, this company studied this medicine in people who look like me, Dr. Okoye says.
The future is bright.
For all of our HS patients, find a doctor you feel comfortable with, she says.
If race is important to you, you might also do that.
