Weight Stigma and Implicit Bias in Healthcare: Investigating the Impact of Women’s Body Size on Continuity of Care and Communication About Sexual and Reproductive Health

Weight stigma is a widespread issue in the U.S., including in healthcare, where even well-intentioned providers may harbor fatphobic biases that negatively impact patient outcomes. Despite growing research on the healthcare needs of fat individuals, sexual and reproductive healthcare remains underexplored. This study investigates how weight stigma disrupts long-term care relationships and affects discussions on sexual health and family planning for fat women. Our findings show that fat women are more likely to engage in doctor shopping and have less communication with providers about sexual and reproductive health, including family planning, likely due to weight stigma and implicit bias.