Why Do More Black Women Die Postpartum?
Black women die 3-4 times the rate of white women from pregnancy-related issues. How can this happen in a so-called “developed country?” If you are short on time, the simple answer is that Black women die more during pregnancy, birth + postpartum because of institutional racism. If you want to learn more, keep reading.
From the very beginning of their existence, Black women in the US have had everything stacked against them. Black children are 3 times more likely to live in poverty than white children (Pew Research Center). In college, the dropout rate for Black students is higher than white students (6.4% vs. 4.2%, National School Board Association). In 2003, a study was conducted that showed that if you have a ““white sounding name,” you got a call back for a job interview 50% more often than if you have a “Black sounding name.” And if you are a pregnant Black woman in America, your chances of dying are 3-4 times greater than white women. It's mostly why the overall rate of pregnancy-related deaths has climbed over the past two decades, making the maternal mortality rate in the United States the worst in any industrialized country
The shocking thing is that it has nothing to do with socioeconomic status, college education, or access to quality health care (heck, look at Beyonce + Serena Williams). These women who are dying each year are not undereducated or living in poverty. The reason that these women are dying at these outrageous rates is institutional racism.
Not only are these women under the constant stress + struggle of being a woman in America (you feeling it lately?!), they are faced with the double whammy of being Black, which adds a significant amount of stress to these women’s lives. Discrimination is everywhere for Black women. They are under-represented. They are seen as unbelievable + not treated with the same level of care as white women. They are seen as being stronger + able to handle more pain (an idea not unlike the days of chattel slavery). They are sent home with little to no follow-up, left to fend for themselves.
This crisis is uniquely American, as other industrialized nations do not share these horrific statistics. And the horror is that a significant amount of these deaths could have been prevented, but until Black women start being valued in this country for who they are, I imagine that nothing much will change in these statistics.
"Racism affects so many things before the patient even gets to the clinical encounter," said Dr. Allison Bryant Mantha, vice chair of quality, equity + safety in the obstetrics + gynecology department of Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston . "Both implicit bias and structural racism affect how women are cared for in the health care system,” (American Heart Association News).
As a community, we first need to learn these truths, + then simultaneously scream our learning from the rooftops. We need to rally behind our Black pregnant people. We need to donate money to organizations that are fighting to make change. We need to open our eyes, our wallets, + pay attention to policy change that could more negatively impact Black women in pregnancy.
I am excited to donate 10% of my profits to Every Mother Counts, + I am happy to offer scholarships to women in the BIPOC community who would like to use my services. Eventually my dream is to offer funding to Black women who wish to become Postpartum Doulas, Birth Doulas, +/or Midwives. What can you do today to change tomorrow?
