By: Alexis Smith, W*SS Reproductive Justice Intern
Racial disparities have plagued the healthcare system resulting in Black women afraid to seek healthcare. “Molly” has always wanted to have multiple children and after 3 miscarriages, she was going to have her third child. But Molly’s pregnancy was not how she imagined. “Molly” had suffered from painful cramps throughout her entire pregnancy. “Molly” would constantly tell her gynecologist that something was wrong as she had not suffered from painful cramps in her last two pregnancies. The physician often told her it was Braxton Hicks and not to worry. But something was wrong- two weeks later “Molly” was rushed into the emergency with severe preeclampsia and fetal abruption. Both of these conditions are fatal to her and the baby if left untreated. “Molly” was exhibiting symptoms of both preeclampsia and fetal abruption earlier in her pregnancy, but doctors often ignored her. Unfortunately, this is the reality for many Black mothers as they relate to the story of “Molly”. Black women are three times more likely to die during childbirth or complications from pregnancy compared to White women. (Population Reference Bureau, 2021).
It is a scary reality as a Black woman myself who is often weary of the treatment I will receive from healthcare professionals. Black maternal health is often not prioritized, causing Black women to die at much higher rates while giving birth compared to White women. Black women deserve to be treated with care, dignity, and respect when being seen by healthcare professionals. Professional tennis player, Serena Williams, has also experienced racism within the healthcare system. Serena suffered from a pulmonary embolism during labor, but doctors did not prioritize her health until she was in critical condition.(Salem, 2018). Most, if not all pregnancy complications and deaths of Black women can be prevented.
With the prominence of cardiovascular diseases such as preeclampsia and cardiomyopathy being the leading cause of death within Black mothers, it is vital these conditions are diagnosed early and treated as soon as possible as fatal complications can arise if treated directly. (MacDorman et al, 2021). These conditions arise mainly in Black women due to structural racism and unconscious bias physicians may have towards minorities, especially Black women. (Population Reference Bureau, 2021).
Black maternal health is a public health crisis that must be addressed. The healthcare system can mitigate this issue by requiring implicit bias training in medical school and during residency training. Another way to improve the health of Black mothers is to offer community health workers and doula services to advocate for their patients. Due to lack of education around health advocacy and reproductive health in schools, many women may not know how to advocate for their health, and Black women are disproportionately impacted by this. Having an additional support system for Black women will drastically improve not only their health, but their child’s health as well. Action needs to be taken to save the lives of Black women.
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