Our Black Mothers Deserve Better
Written by: Tamanna Kazi, RN
How often have you seen Black moms post on social media about horror stories from the hospital? The sad reality is one too many. The reality is that far too many Black women are not being treated with equitable standards in comparison to other populations in America.
Real Life Example
For example, Shalon Irving tragically passed away from complications of high blood pressure post-delivery. What caught national news was that Shalon was a CDC Epidemiologist who worked to end healthcare disparities and died from disproportionate black maternal mortality. The twisted reality shows that even a Black woman with socioeconomic advantages is at a higher risk showing how widespread the inequities Black women face in America. You can’t make this stuff up.
Numbers don’t lie
Racial disparities exist and the evidence backs it up. Per CDC, Black women are two to three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related complications than white women. Another study by the CDC in 2019 concluded that 80% of pregnancy-related deaths were preventable. This doesn’t even take into account socioeconomic levels and education.
Nationally, 42% of all births are covered by Medicaid and 65% of Black women rely on Medicaid for pregnancy and postpartum care. The current federal mandate limits pregnancy-related Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) to 60 days after childbirth. Then more than 20% of those pregnancy-related Medicaid become uninsured within 6 months postpartum.
So if most pregnancy-related deaths are preventable and our current healthcare system doesn’t even cover for a full year then suddenly the alarming maternal mortality rate starts to make sense. It’s twisted, we have a system that is designed to make us fail. That doesn’t even factor in the inherent racism and lack of education in the healthcare industry to understand the needs of Black women.
Black women are more than statistics; they are the foundation of their families, nurturing caregivers, and most importantly human beings. Their health needs to be taken seriously because numbers like these are embarrassing for a country that prides itself as a modern developed nation.
Remnants of a racist past
American history has proven time and time again that racism is ever present even in our modern age. Much of American history blamed the Black population for being more susceptible to illness which we can agree was never about race but rather racism.
In hospitals, there are biased care practices that continue to this day. A study shows that Black women are more likely to be drug tested in labor and delivery wards compared to white women. The kicker is that a study in Philadelphia showed that tests are more likely to be negative compared to white women despite being tested more. It’s another example of how stereotypes can still impact care given by educated healthcare personnel. Another reminder that education doesn’t equal social awareness.
Let’s expand Healthcare
Advocacy groups have called to change the federal mandate from 60 days to 1 year. Continuation of postpartum healthcare is critical to recovering from childbirth. That would help women get much-needed access to care to help prevent pregnancy-related complications from turning deadly.
Another change was to make telehealth more accessible. This helps tackle issues with childcare and transportation. Also, accessibility is a huge proponent in making healthcare more equitable.
Black women should also have more access to other pregnancy options such as midwives and doulas. This concept has been associated with more affluent women having the option to choose birthing plans and home births. Being pregnant is such a vulnerable time, women should have the option to choose a plan that makes them feel safe and heard.
So what’s next?
For real change to happen we need systematic reeducation.
Dismantle what was known and accept our flaws that something is inherently wrong when our society allows black mothers to die at alarming numbers. It’ll be important to dismantle inherent clinical biases present in the healthcare field. Believe it or not, even healthcare workers need to be reminded that current practices are not providing a healthy space of healing for black mothers. Numbers don’t lie.
Another option is getting better access to healthcare professionals who are also people of color. The diversity of the patient population should inherently match the professionals who are taking care of them to limit any racial biases. It can also help with the comfort level of certain individuals.
We need to engage in more community health initiatives with local organizations. Our work in The Public Health Record aims to establish more education about public health issues that affect people of color. We have teams that work on different aspects of outreach that help connect with a wider community audience. Follow our work at https://www.thepublichealthrecord.com/.
Citation:
Hoyert DL. Maternal mortality rates in the United States, 2021. NCHS Health E-Stats. 2023.
DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.15620/cdc:124678
https://www.npr.org/2017/12/07/568948782/black-mothers-keep-dying-after-giving-birth-shalon-irvings-story-explains-why
