Many studies show a big problem. Doctors do not give the same pain medicine to all patients. People from minority groups get less help for pain than white patients.

許多研究顯示了一個重大問題。醫生並沒有給予所有患者相同的止痛藥。少數族裔群體在疼痛治療上獲得的幫助少於白人患者。

Children from minority groups often get less pain medicine. Doctors sometimes do not believe these children are in pain. They do not give them the same strong medicine as white children.

少數族裔的兒童通常獲得較少的止痛藥。醫生有時不相信這些孩子在疼痛。他們沒有給予這些孩子與白人兒童相同強度的藥物。

Women from minority groups also have problems. Some doctors think Black women are stronger and do not feel pain. Because of this, these women get less help during birth.

少數族裔的女性也面臨問題。一些醫生認為黑人女性較強壯，不會感到疼痛。因此，這些女性在分娩過程中獲得的幫助較少。

Adults also get less medicine for long-term pain. Some doctors believe false things about the skin of Black patients. This is not true, but it means patients suffer more.

成年人在面對長期疼痛時獲得的藥物也較少。一些醫生對黑人患者的皮膚持有錯誤的看法。這並不屬實，但卻導致患者承受更多痛苦。

These problems happen because of wrong ideas about race. Doctors must change how they think to help everyone equally.

這些問題是由於對種族有錯誤的認知而產生的。醫生必須改變思維方式，以平等地幫助每一個人。

Extensive global research shows that patients from minority ethnic backgrounds consistently receive lower quality pain recognition and treatment compared to white patients across various medical fields.

全球廣泛研究顯示，在各個醫療領域中，少數族裔背景的患者在疼痛識別與治療方面，其獲得的質量一致低於白人患者。

The 'ethnicity pain gap' is visible throughout a person's life, starting with children. Research from the University of Delaware suggests that racial bias affects how pain is perceived; for example, observers often need to see stronger signs of distress from Black children before they acknowledge the pain. Consequently, this delay leads to fewer recommendations for pain medication. Data from US emergency departments support this, showing that minority children with serious injuries, such as broken bones or appendicitis, are significantly less likely to receive opioids than white children, even when the injuries are equally severe.

「種族疼痛差距」在一個人的一生中都清晰可見，從兒童時期就開始。德拉瓦大學的研究表明，種族偏見會影響疼痛的感知；例如，觀察者通常需要看到黑人兒童表現出更強烈的痛苦跡象，才會承認其疼痛。因此，這種延遲導致疼痛藥物的建議次數減少。美國急診室的數據支持了這一點，顯示患有嚴重傷病（如骨折或闌尾炎）的少數族裔兒童，即使傷情同樣嚴重，接受鴉片類藥物的可能性明顯低於白人兒童。

In maternity care, these systemic differences are especially serious. Data from 2.7 million UK births reveal that women of Bangladeshi, Pakistani, and Black Caribbean descent are less likely to receive epidurals. Furthermore, Black Caribbean and African-British women are more likely to receive general anesthesia during planned C-sections, which is generally considered less safe than regional anesthesia. Experts emphasize that these outcomes are often caused by racial stereotypes. For instance, the 'strong Black woman' image may lead doctors to wrongly assume these patients have a higher tolerance for pain.

在產科護理中，這些系統性差異尤為嚴重。來自 270 萬宗英國分娩的數據顯示，孟加拉、巴基斯坦和黑加勒比裔女性接受硬膜外麻醉的可能性較低。此外，黑加勒比和非裔英國女性在計劃剖腹產期間更可能接受全身麻醉，而全身麻醉通常被認為不如區域麻醉安全。專家強調，這些結果通常是由種族刻板印象造成的。例如，「強悍黑人女性」的形象可能會導致醫生錯誤地假設這些患者對疼痛的耐受力較高。

Similar trends appear in adult care. A 2016 Boston University study of 60 million records found that Black patients were half as likely to receive opioids for certain conditions. These disparities also persist in the treatment of Sickle Cell disease and Parkinson's. Additionally, research from the University of Hull indicates that minority ethnic cancer patients receive lower doses of pain medication in their final months of life, which often leads to more hospital readmissions. These issues are frequently based on incorrect biological beliefs, such as the false idea that Black patients have thicker skin.

成年人護理中也出現了類似趨勢。波士頓大學 2016 年對 6,000 萬份紀錄的研究發現，黑人患者在針對某些病況接受鴉片類藥物的可能性僅為一半。這些差異在治療鐮刀型細胞貧血症和帕金森氏症中依然存在。此外，赫爾大學的研究指出，少數族裔癌症患者在生命最後幾個月接受的止痛藥劑量較低，這往往導致更多的住院再入院率。這些問題通常基於錯誤的生物學信念，例如黑人皮膚較厚的錯誤觀念。

Current evidence suggests that racial differences in pain management are caused by systemic biases and social stereotypes rather than biological differences. Therefore, there must be a fundamental change in institutional culture and how data is collected.

目前證據顯示，疼痛管理中的種族差異是由系統性偏見與社會刻板印象引起，而非生物學差異。因此，制度文化與數據收集方式必須有根本性的改變。

Extensive global research indicates that patients from minority ethnic backgrounds consistently receive suboptimal pain recognition and treatment compared to white patients across various medical disciplines.

全球大量研究顯示，在不同醫療科室中，少數族裔患者獲得的疼痛識別與治療，一向低於白人患者。

The phenomenon of the 'ethnicity pain gap' is evident across the human lifespan, commencing in pediatric care. Research from the University of Delaware suggests that racial bias influences the perception of pain, with observers requiring more pronounced expressions of distress from Black children before acknowledging pain. Consequently, this perceptual lag correlates with a reduced recommendation for analgesic intervention. Clinical data from US emergency departments further substantiate this, demonstrating that minority children with long-bone fractures or appendicitis are significantly less likely to be administered opioids than white children, despite adjustments for injury severity.

「種族疼痛差距」的現象在人的整個生命週期中都十分明顯，從兒童醫療開始。德拉瓦大學的研究指出，種族偏見會影響對疼痛的感知，觀察者通常需要黑人兒童表現出更明顯的痛苦，才會承認其疼痛。因此，這種感知延遲導致建議採取止痛干預的機會降低。美國急診室的臨床數據進一步證實了這一點，顯示即使在調整傷勢嚴重程度後，患有長骨骨折或闌尾炎的少數族裔兒童，被使用鴉片類藥物的可能性顯著低於白人兒童。

In the domain of obstetric care, systemic disparities are particularly acute. Data from 2.7 million UK births reveal that women of Bangladeshi, Pakistani, and Black Caribbean descent are less likely to receive epidurals. Furthermore, Black Caribbean and African-British women exhibit a higher propensity for receiving general anesthesia during elective caesareans—a procedure typically managed via regional anesthesia for safety reasons. These outcomes are often attributed to the internalization of racial tropes; for instance, the 'strong Black woman' stereotype may lead clinicians to assume a higher innate tolerance for pain, while Asian women may be characterized as 'princesses' or overly demanding.

在產科護理領域，系統性差異尤為嚴重。英國 270 萬宗分娩數據顯示，孟加拉、巴基斯坦及黑加勒比裔女性使用硬膜外麻醉的可能性較低。此外，黑加勒比及非裔英國女性在選擇性剖腹產中，接受全身麻醉的傾向較高——而該手術基於安全理由，通常由區域麻醉處理。這些結果通常歸因於對種族刻板印象的內化；例如，「強悍黑人女性」的標籤可能會使臨床醫生假設其天生對疼痛有較高耐受力，而亞洲女性則可能被定型為「公主」或要求過高。

Adult acute and chronic care settings mirror these trends. A 2016 Boston University study of 60 million emergency records found Black patients were half as likely to receive opioids for non-definitive conditions. Similar disparities persist in the management of Sickle Cell disease and Parkinson's, where minority patients receive significantly lower rates of opioid prescriptions. In palliative care, research from the University of Hull indicates that minority ethnic cancer patients receive lower doses of pain medication in their final three months of life, often resulting in increased hospital readmissions. These disparities are frequently underpinned by erroneous biological beliefs among medical staff, such as the false premise that Black patients possess thicker skin or less sensitive nerve endings.

成人急性與慢性護理環境也反映了這些趨勢。波士頓大學 2016 年對 6000 萬份急診紀錄的研究發現，黑人患者在非確定性病症中獲得鴉片類藥物的可能性僅為白人的一半。類似的差異也存在於鐮狀細胞疾病與帕金森氏症的治療中，少數族裔患者獲得鴉片類藥物處方的比例顯著較低。在姑息治療方面，赫爾大學的研究指出，少數族裔癌症患者在生命最後三個月獲得的止痛藥劑量較低，往往導致入院率增加。這些差異通常源於醫護人員錯誤的生物學信念，例如認為黑人皮膚較厚或神經末梢較不敏感。

Current evidence suggests that racial disparities in pain management are driven by systemic biases and sociocultural stereotypes rather than biological differences, necessitating a fundamental shift in institutional culture and data collection.

目前的證據顯示，疼痛管理中的種族差異是由系統性偏見與社會文化刻板印象驅動，而非生物學差異，因此需要對制度文化與數據收集進行根本性的轉變。