Author — Antonie Tran
Racial harassment and discrimination have been around since the creation of America. Certain people have always been looked down upon because of their background or the color of their skin.
Maternal mortality and morbidity are problems occurring everywhere in the world, especially in countries with a lack of technology and income. However, according to the CDC and NCHS, high-income countries also suffer from maternal mortality. Specifically, in the United States of America, the maternal mortality rate in 2018 was 17.4 per 100,000 live births. The United States of America has one of the highest ranks compared to other industrialized (developed) countries. And what’s worse? There are racial disparities when it comes to maternal mortality.
According to The CommonWealth Fund, the maternal death ratio for Black women (37.1 per 100,000 pregnancies) is 2.5 times the ratio for white women (14.7) and three times the ratio for Hispanic women (11.8). These disturbing rations bring up an important question: Why should a black person be 3 times more likely to suffer from a maternal death? Racism is atrocious, but it does not end there. A black woman with a college education is at higher risk for maternal death compared to a white woman or a Hispanic woman with less than a high school education. How much more, you may ask? 60% more. That’s closer to double the risk than it is to being equal.
In most cases, higher education is helpful when it comes to health outcomes. However, this is not the case for black women, for whom education does little to mitigate the racial differences in maternal deaths. Five times as many black mothers with a college education die as white mothers with a college education. In fact, black women with a college education even die more often than white mothers with less than a high school degree, with a ratio of 40.2 to 25.
These statistics and facts may be frightening, but we wouldn’t know what they truly feel. As an Asian-American male, I have no clue what it is like to give birth, nonetheless suffer (die) from maternal mortality. However, thanks to a few national surveys created by National Partnership for Women and Families, we can get a new perspective. Many black women felt immense pressure to get a Cesarean compared to white women. Many women also felt a lack of authority when it came to decision-making in the process. These women are in an intense, high-stress situation, and it’s sad that their race still affects how healthcare professionals treat them.
All in all, maternal mortality is already a big problem, so why bring race into it? Despite the statistics, there is always a chance for the world to change, and that starts with your help. Donating to A2M2 or just giving us a shout-out (whether on social media or to your friends) could help us spread the word and combat maternal mortality.
Sources
https://www.ghspjournal.org/content/6/2/372
https://online.regiscollege.edu/blog/how-to-prevent-maternal-mortality-injustices-around-the-world/
https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/preventing-unsafe-abortion
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