Maternal Healthcare

As a result of our country’s healthcare disparities, Black women are far more likely to experience pregnancy-related complications and a lack of access to quality maternal care. According to the CDC, they are three to four times more likely than White women to die from pregnancy-related complications and three to four times more likely to suffer from severe disability resulting from childbirth.

During a time that should be joyful and exciting, Black expecting mothers too often encounter disparities that have a direct impact on the quality of care they receive. A staggering 22 percent of Black women report discrimination when going to the doctor, and therefore prefer receiving care from hospitals that predominantly serve Black patients.

Many expecting Black mothers prefer to see a Black female doctor for their maternal care, however Black women make up only 2 percent of the nation’s active physicians

3-4x

Black women are 3-4 times more likely to experience a pregnancy-related death than white women

87%

Only 87 percent of Black women of reproductive age have health insurance, and many more experience gaps in coverage during their lives

75%

of Black women give birth at hospitals that serve predominantly Black populations; however, these hospitals perform worse on 12 of 15 birth outcomes

It is imperative that Black families are set up for success from the very start.