Black Women Deserve Better Healthcare – How We Can Help
At Mira Fertility, we stand against racial inequality and believe in taking action to ensure every woman receives the healthcare she deserves.
That is why we partner with communities to donate starter kits in areas that have limited access to reproductive healthcare.
But our efforts don’t stop there.
As we tackle the racial disparities, we must acknowledge that one of the biggest discrepancies in racial inequality lies in healthcare. These discrepancies can be found in all areas of healthcare but especially among pregnant Black women.
The U.S. maternal mortality and morbidity rate excessively affects Black women.
Black women are 2-3 times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than white women. Pregnancy-related deaths per 100,000 live births for Black women older than 30 are 4-5 times as high as it is for white women.
And as we hear stories from celebrities like Serena Williams who experienced dangerous complications shortly after birth and had a nearly fatal experience due to being initially dismissed by hospital staff. We must recognize these experiences of Black women go beyond access to the best healthcare, money, or status.
Dr. Ana Langer director of the Women and Health Initiative at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in Boston states in an article for heart.org
Basically, Black women are undervalued. They are not monitored as carefully as white women are. When they do present with symptoms, they are often dismissed.
She goes on to say “Racism affects so many things before the patient even gets to the clinical encounter,” she said. “Both implicit bias and structural racism affect how women are cared for in the health care system.”
How can we make a change?
1. Acknowledge the biases that Black women are facing
It’s important that we make everyone aware of the issues Black women are facing when it comes to receiving quality healthcare during pregnancy and after.
Training doctors on implicit biases when it comes to taking care of their patients helps to open the door to conversations that may never take place otherwise. Supporting organizations that help Black women receive the quality healthcare that every woman deserves is another step in the right direction.
2. Find organizations you can support
Finding organizations that support a better birth experience for black women is vital. You can choose to support these organizations through donations or simply volunteering your time.
https://www.sistersong.net/birthjustice
https://www.jamaasnewhome.org/
https://commonsensechildbirth.org/
https://www.blackwomenbirthingjustice.org/
https://www.sesedoulaservices.com/
3. Learn & Share
One of the most important things you can do is no longer stay silent. You can start by sharing articles on your social media to bring awareness. Continue to educate yourself on the changes you can make in your very own community.
Most importantly, know that we all must be willing to fight for the change that every mother deserves.
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