Effect of Islamophobia on the Health of Muslim Women

The muddle of identity, socialization, policies, and media caused by increasing occurrences of Islamophobic discrimination poses several risks to the health of Muslim-Americans, more specifically, Muslim women. Islamophobia stretches further than the common meaning of hostility towards Islam or Muslims, but reflects the undeniable boundaries around Muslims framed by America's exclusive practices and polices. Every day experiences of discrimination lead to an enormous amount of mental and physical health outcomes, including giving birth to low birthweight babies, high mortality, psychological distress and hypertension.

In a recent study done with Iraqi refugees, the participants had described American healthcare providers as having extreme stereotypical attitudes towards Muslim women. These professionals who are put into their positions so as to ensure the best health for all people expressed their discriminatory beliefs that Muslim women have too many children, are oppressed by their husbands, are excessively religious and overall have too many "problems." These ideologies oftentimes push Muslim women away from seeking medical care as well as disbelieving information from medical providers. In fact, several Muslim women express their undeniable discomfort in medical settings.

Over 50% of Muslim women have been in some way harassed due to their beliefs, especially regarding religious attire such as Hijabs. This links to one of the most well-known determinants of poor mental health, stress. The marginalization of Muslim women increases the likelihood of having higher levels of stress which then points towards higher blood pressure rates and heart rates. As a result of the reduced access to resources based on limited American practices than are mindful of Muslim beliefs, many Muslim women feel forced to not seek help for their suspected health problems.

It is beyond striking to see the lack of research on the linkage of Islamophobia and the health of Muslim women. There is great need in the field of medicine and healthcare for more diverse decision makers and providers. Only through diversity in these crucial environments can we alleviate the disparities caused by discrimination against Muslim women. Never should a Muslim woman fear going to a hospital if she feels pain during her pregnancy; never should she be rediculed for religious beliefs and face disruption of her mental health.