Black Women Need Better Access to Reproductive Healthcare

Dr. Raegan McDonald-Mosley says that for Black women specifically, being in full control of our reproductive decisions can quite literally be a matter of life and death.

I've been a practicing OB/GYN for nearly 15 years, long enough to see patient after patient struggle through the web of systemic barriers that make accessing healthcare needlessly difficult. At my practice in Baltimore, in a state that is a national trailblazer in providing comprehensive and affordable reproductive healthcare, I still hear every day from women who struggle to get the care they need. My patients have told me stories about having to take three buses to get to an appointment, only to be turned away, if they are late. Some patients don't have the right type of insurance coverage or have no insurance, pushing needed health services or medication financially out of reach. Others can't take time off work or afford transportation or childcare in order to go to their doctor.

Reproductive healthcare is not a luxury, and for Black women specifically, being in full control of our reproductive decisions can quite literally be a matter of life and death. Data from the CDC show Black women are three to four times more likely to die during childbirth than White women. These statistics remain consistent even when adjusting for factors like age, education, and economic status. There is a growing consensus that the stress of prejudice and racism endured by Black women increases the likelihood of preterm birth and other health consequences.

(Read full story at www.thewestsidegazette.com)