Wagner 3
Wagner 1
Latisha Wagner
Professor Brown
English 102 WW20 MX
20 November 2022
Racial Disparities for Black Women in Obstetrics
Moaddab, Amirhossein, et al. “Health care disparity and pregnancy-related mortality in the United States, 2005–2014.” Obstetrics & Gynecology 131.4 (2018): 707-712.
The article sheds light on a complicated issue with the healthcare system in the United States: health disparities in pregnancy-related mortality (PRMD). It examined information on PRMDs by race/ethnicity, age, and year between 2005 and 2014 from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the National Vital Statistics System (NVSS). It was discovered that for most of the years examined, blacks had a higher mortality rate from PRMDs than whites. Black people had 1.7 times higher risk of dying from PRMDs than non-black people across all races and ethnicities over these years.
I am interested in learning more about the racial disparities in obstetrics and other areas of healthcare. My mom was a clinical Nurse and she interacted with many black patients of color who receive little or no care due to the widespread belief that people of color can’t get sick since they don’t have a “sickle’s chance in hell” of getting it. It is due to the expression “sickle’s chance in hell.” Throughout the essay, the author hints that there are disparities between white people and people of color. Because my mother is a Black woman, I know she can relate to how racism influences healthcare outcomes for people of color.
I have reason to believe that racial inequities exist in how people are cared for when they seek medical attention for medical conditions. The preceding article makes some proposals for addressing these imbalances.
Racial disparities are all too common in obstetrics and other areas of healthcare. For example, compared to whites, blacks are significantly more likely to be born into poverty and receive poor medical treatment before and throughout pregnancy. Another factor is that persons of African heritage are more likely to be obese than people of European descent. Obesity is associated with several health problems, some of which might occur during pregnancy. Finally, racism can contribute to health disparities by increasing the likelihood that people of African origin will receive inadequate medical care.
Funchess, Tanya, et al. “Racial Disparities in Reproductive Healthcare among Parous and Nulliparous Women in Mississippi.” Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities, vol. 8, no. 2, 3 June 2020, pp. 304–314, link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40615-020-00783-x, 10.1007/s40615-020-00783-x. Accessed 20 Nov. 2022.
The essay highlights the disparities in reproductive healthcare access experienced by black and white women in Mississippi. This study emphasizes the importance of increasing black women’s access to high-quality medical care and improving the therapy that is now provided to them (Dorsey). Another topic mentioned in this article is that black women are less likely than white women to have elective abortions. As a result, black women are more vulnerable to unwanted pregnancies. The researchers examined the National Survey of Family Growth data from 2005 to 2007. (NSFG).
Research has long established that there are considerable racial disparities in obstetrics and other areas of healthcare. Studies have identified racism as a probable cause of these disparities and found that even when the race is not included, blacks are still more likely than whites to receive inferior care. It is true even when race is not considered. According to the findings of one study, the death rate among black women who got prenatal care was around double that of white women who received the same respect. Over the last two decades, there has been a worrying increase in the frequency of poor birth outcomes reported by black mothers who gave birth prematurely.
Emeruwa, Ukachi N., Cynthia Gyamfi-Bannerman, and Russell S. Miller. “Health care disparities in the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States: A focus on obstetrics.” Clinical Obstetrics and Gynecology 65.1 (2022): 123.
The article delves into the racial disparities in healthcare for Black women. The authors propose using data from the COVID-19 pandemic to reduce racial disparities in health care. Furthermore, they have identified several factors that contribute to the increased risk among Black women during pregnancy compared to White women, such as higher rates of uninsured and Medicaid eligibility, lower income levels, higher poverty rates, and previous negative pregnancy tests and exposures.
The article is relevant to my research topic since it covers the racial disparities related to the COVID-19 epidemic, one of the elements that must be addressed in my subject. According to the report, Black women are more likely to be uninsured, Medicaid eligible, and have lower income levels, all of which are considerations in my thesis.
Various variables contribute to the elevated risk among Black women during pregnancy. These include higher rates of uninsured and Medicaid eligibility, lower income levels, higher poverty rates, and past negative pregnancy tests and exposures. The authors recommend using data from the COVID-19 pandemic to eliminate racial inequities in health care. Furthermore, they have identified several factors that contribute to the increased risk among Black women during pregnancy compared to White women, such as higher rates of uninsured and Medicaid eligibility, lower income levels, higher poverty rates, and previous negative pregnancy tests and exposures.
Works Cited
Dorsey, Marquitta S. “#Blackgirlsmatter: Turning the Tide of Historical Injustice toward Civil and Social Restitution.” Journal of Poverty, vol. 24, no. 5-6, 11 Feb. 2020, pp. 369–388, 10.1080/10875549.2020.1728009. Accessed 23 Nov. 2020.
Emeruwa, Ukachi N., Cynthia Gyamfi-Bannerman, and Russell S. Miller. “Health care disparities in the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States: A focus on obstetrics.” Clinical Obstetrics and Gynecology 65.1 (2022): 123.
Funchess, Tanya, et al. “Racial Disparities in Reproductive Healthcare among Parous and Nulliparous Women in Mississippi.” Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities, vol. 8, no. 2, 3 June 2020, pp. 304–314, link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40615-020-00783-x, 10.1007/s40615-020-00783-x. Accessed 20 Nov. 2022.
Moaddab, Amirhossein, et al. “Health care disparity and pregnancy-related mortality in the United States, 2005–2014.” Obstetrics & Gynecology 131.4 (2018): 707-712.