- Chidiebere Ibe, a medical illustrator from Nigeria, posted a picture of a Black fetus in November.
- The illustration went viral and sparked a conversation about representation.
- Diversity could improve outcomes and make patients and doctors of color feel seen, Ibe said.
When Chidiebere Ibe, a medical illustrator, posted a picture of a Black fetus in utero on November 24, he was hoping to spark a conversation about representation in medicine and disparities in health outcomes for Black people.
"I wanted everybody to be seen and be heard," Ibe told Insider.
He couldn't have imagined then that the photo would be shared hundreds of thousands of times on social media. Ibe lives in Nigeria, but he believed that the photo resonated around the globe with people who were frustrated with systemic racism. In the United States, where the differences in infant and maternal mortality for Black people underscored the need for more equitable healthcare, the picture was particularly powerful, he said.
"This was a side project to advocate for what I believe in. When I posted that drawing, I said: 'I am Black, and Black is beautiful. More of this should be represented in the medical literature.'"
As the picture spread around the globe, many people commented that it was the first time they'd seen a child of color depicted in a medical setting.
"It's amazing that people have never seen such drawings of Black bodies like that in their life," Ibe said.
Representation in medical texts
Doctors learn from textbooks and illustrations, but there's a dearth of illustrations that show diverse bodies and skin tones. Ibe, who plans to start medical school next year, knows that firsthand.
There's also a lack of representation among medical illustrators, 73% of whom are white, said Jodie Horton, the chief wellness advisor for Love Wellness.
"The medical field should mirror the diversity of the patients that they take care of," Horton said.
Having diverse representation can improve outcomes. Ibe believed that Black medical students needed to see themselves represented in medical textbooks. It's also important to show the different ways that conditions can present on darker skin.
"Disease processes can appear differently on brown and black skin," Horton said. "The absence of medical illustrations and photos of people of color can lead to misdiagnosis, delay in treatment, and poor outcomes."
Ibe's next project addresses exactly that: He's working on a series illustrating common childhood illnesses, all on Black skin.
Patients also need to see bodies that look like them in medical pamphlets and information, said James Kyle, the chief equity officer and quality medical director at LA Care Health Plan.
"It is important for patients to see themselves in these illustrations and to feel that they are included in medical teaching material, research, and treatment developments," he added.
Changing the conversation
Candice Taylor Lucas, a professor at the University of California, Irvine School of Medicine, showed the illustration to her 6-year-old son after seeing it online. She said he looked at it and said, "That was me!"
"Seeing a healthy baby with a brown skin tone, in the womb of a healthy mother with a brown skin tone, feels like a celebration of the strength of Black women," Taylor Lucas said. "My son's response demonstrated the value of inclusive excellence in medical illustrations."
A major medical textbook publisher has already reached out to Ibe. He hoped that the traction that the illustration had would show medical publishers that there was a demand for more diverse representation.
Ibe hoped that people around the globe, especially those in the medical community, would keep the conversation about representation going.
"Let's push this forward," he said. "It's no longer my personal project. It should be a global project."
