# The racial gap in GLP-1 prescriptions

> Black Americans have diabetes at nearly twice the rate of white Americans, but receive newer diabetes drugs far less often. The roots run back a century.
- Title: The racial gap in GLP-1 prescriptions · Vox | Shortify
- Summary: Black Americans have diabetes at nearly twice the rate of white Americans, but receive newer diabetes drugs far less often. The roots run back a century.
- Keywords: glp-1 drugs, diabetes, racial disparities, healthcare access, black americans, medical racism, Vox
- Source: Vox — https://vox.com/videos/510358/why-are-fewer-black-americans-getting-glp-1s
- Author: Dolly Li
- Published: 2026-11-11T14:00:00+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: glp-1 drugs, diabetes, racial disparities, healthcare access, black americans, medical racism, news, culture
## The drug everyone wants
GLP-1s like Ozempic and Wegovy have become celebrity status symbols for weight loss. But they were originally developed to treat Type 2 diabetes, which affects nearly 40 million Americans.
## Black Americans hit hardest
According to the CDC, about 12 percent of Black adults have diabetes, compared with roughly 7 percent of white adults.
## A century of medical racism
A century ago, doctors called diabetes a luxury disease of wealthy white and Jewish people and didn't believe Black people could get it.
## Why the gap persists
The disparity between Black and white patients' access to GLP-1s traces back to this history of race and diabetes in America. Closing that gap will take more than a prescription.
## Key takeaway

Black Americans are prescribed GLP-1 diabetes drugs at much lower rates than white Americans despite higher diabetes rates, a disparity rooted in historical medical racism.