John Oliver investigates gender and racial bias in medical treatment

Last Week Tonight with John Oliver looked at how medical treatment can differ based on a patient’s gender or race.

Millions of fans watch Last Week Tonight with John Oliver without knowing what topic he will be talking about each week. But what they do know is that the subject will be the topic of conversation the next day. This week was no different as Oliver took on gender and racial bias in medical treatment.

There are an unlimited number of topics that can be discussed under the umbrella of “medicine.” Health insurance and prescription prices are expected to be two major issues in the 2020 election. Another major issue in the country and not just for the next election is the social divide.

John Oliver brought these two issues together on Sunday night’s Last Week Tonight. The show has never hesitated to take a long look at the uglier side of things and it doesn’t get much worse than having a different set of standards for medical care based on race or gender.

This segment will undoubtedly start a conversation about bias in medicine. Thousands of people are already sharing their stories on Twitter and in the comment section of the YouTube clip.

Oliver wisely starts off the segment by acknowledging he isn’t the best person to talk about the challenges facing women and racial minorities. As he put it, he’s like a cider doughnut and gets a sunburn watching the Travel Channel. Oliver also acknowledges that most medical professionals practice in an ethical manner and by no means does Oliver want to generalize.

This has always been a strength of Last Week Tonight when it comes to these segments. Oliver starts out by addressing any counterarguments or questions a skeptic could have about the research, motivation, and delivery behind each segment.

The most interesting part of the segment on bias based on sex comes from the fact that men’s bodies are studied more than women’s. The reasoning is the assumption that men and women are the same with the only exception being the “pesky” hormones that come with being a woman. This starting point can lead to an inherent bias and dismissing things like pain in women as caused by a biological “nuisance.”

On the topic of race, Oliver looks at how misconceptions about different races can lead to different treatments. He highlights studies showing that black patients are less likely to be prescribed opioids compared to white patients even for the same conditions.

The more attention that can be brought to the issues of medical bias, the better the chance things can improve.Once again Last Week Tonight with John Oliver delivers a compelling segment in a way that is both entertaining and informative.