Hijab

Noor, Reem, Layla (L to R in the photo above) and I were at a refugee camp - not a Syrian one, but one originally established for Palestinians in 1948. Like many "camps" its now a city with buildings instead of tents. Its a poor area of town, so every new wave of refugees from anywhere finds cheap housing here.

I think she was looking at me but her black veil revealed only contours of her face. Hijab means veil but also partition, and it was effective. She spoke of her medical problems, an intractable headache, dizziness, and blood sugar that supposedly drops whenever she eats sugar. She was worried about anemia, but when I asked to examine her she demurred. She was less worried about offending her religion than her husband.

The parts of the physical exam we often take for granted - facial expressions revealing fear or smiles - were shrouded behind a black slate. Based on her voice I thought she was post-menopausal. It turned out she was 25.

A female doctor would have made these difficulties moot. Unfortunately all three of us seeing patients were men.