If you’re part of an ethnic community, you know how difficult it is to get diagnosed and treated for inflammatory bowel disease, or IBD. In this episode we hear from gastroenterologist Dr. Florence Odufalu, and why she treats patients in ethnically diverse and underserved communities. We also talk with ulcerative colitis patient Joshua Benton, who has been managing his disease for more than 17 years.

“It's an incredible challenge for all IBD patients to navigate the health care system. Especially in patients of color, I kind of hear sometimes the same thing that, ‘I didn't really know where to turn. Nobody was really believing my symptoms,’” says Dr. Odufalu.

Among the highlights in this episode:

1:13: Gut Culture focuses on building a community for people of color and their IBD journeys

2:19: Dr. Florence Odufalu discusses how she started in IBD care

2:56: “I didn't see that there was a focus in understanding the disease course in people of color,” says Dr. Odufalu

4:38: Joshua Benton describes his journey as an ulcerative colitis patient

5:43: “There wasn't a lot of documentation or any type of valuable information really, for me to relate to, not just specifically being black, but even just being an American with this condition,” says Joshua.

6:10: Joshua describes navigating the health care system

7:30: Melodie remembers when she was first diagnosed - “People had found me and they were telling me, I'm the first black person to be diagnosed with this disease."

8:28: Dr. Odufalu discusses treating patients of color

10:20: IBD is a global disease and affects all colors

10:57: Joshua shares what an IBD patient should look for in a doctor

12:21: Dr. Odufalu shares what patients should look for in a doctor

13:58: How has community helped Joshua

14:14: Dealing with mental health and anxiety of being diagnosed with IBD

15:58: Common misperceptions of IBD is that it “doesn't affect or rarely affects black and brown people,” says Dr. Odufalu

16:42: “The overwhelming majority of my friends just legitimately don't understand it,” says Joshua

19:47: The intersection of IBD with colorectal cancer (CRC)

20:48: Joshua discusses his ulcerative colitis journey

24:40: Diet and IBD

26:48: March is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month. Melodie reminds us that it’s “a disease that's preventable, beatable, and treatable. Please, please, please get your screenings”

Contact Our Hosts

Steven Newmark- Director of Policy at GHLF: snewmark@ghlf.org

Melodie Narain-Blackwell, President and Founder of The Color of Crohn's and Chronic Illness: melodie@cocci.org

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