Pregnant Black and Latina Women Still Face Health Care Gap

With the goal of reducing the maternal death rate, California health authorities are taking steps to keep new mothers healthy before and after childbirth. However, there is a gap in care for Latinas and mothers of color, as they continue to face a risk of death during pregnancy.

Daniela Rodríguez, a UC Berkeley fellow and reporter for Radio Bilingüe, discusses the results of a study addressing the lack of medical care for Latinas and Black women during pregnancy.

The recent report on Maternal Health Equity in California , released last month, is an important effort by groups like Hispanics Organized for Political Equality (HOPE) and Black Women Organized for Political Action (BWOPA-TILE). Dr. Angela Ocampo, who collaborated with them, explains what inspired this study and why it’s truly important for women’s health, specifically before, during, and after pregnancy.

The United States is one of the leading countries in medical research and healthcare, yet it has one of the highest rates of pregnancy mortality. So, let’s really try to understand a little why.

This study analyzed the life experiences of Latina, Black, and Afro-Latina women in California during and after pregnancy. The report revealed striking findings about the significant need for maternal health care, notes Dr. Ocampo.

One in four women, whether Black or Latina, have difficulty accessing obstetric and gynecological care.

Even more striking is that a third of the study participants also have difficulty accessing routine health care, so basic yet so crucial at this stage, says Dr. Ocampo.

That really shows that there is a very strong connection between day-to-day care and the difficulty women report in obtaining obstetric and gynecological care.

The report also highlights that 46% of Latinas and Black women surveyed reported some form of adverse, unequal, or unfair treatment during their pregnancy or childbirth from their healthcare provider, and that although hospitals require a process for patients to file any complaints, most women reported being unaware of the grievance process.

This was truly surprising given that a fairly high percentage of these women report having had an adverse experience during their pregnancy.

In the Central Valley, these figures are much higher among women due to a lack of access to routine medical checkups and what many women identify as unequal or unfair treatment in the medical field. And as Dr. Ocampo points out, this is possibly exacerbated by gender, sexual orientation, or immigration status.

We also found that women in the Central Valley, Latinas, and Black women in particular, report feeling like their symptoms weren’t treated seriously, compared to women in other regions of the state. Another thing we found was a much lower rate of women who felt very positive about their childbirth experience.

The California Maternal Health Equity Report also recognizes the social factors that impact maternal health, such as racism and a person’s financial income, which is related to the type of health insurance they have.

We’ve also seen that the health care system has historically been discriminatory. For example, five years ago, there were numerous complaints and allegations that immigration and customs enforcement and detention centers had denied medical care and possibly forced hysterectomies on Latina immigrant women.

However, Dr. Ocampo says that, as with any research, the study has limitations.

Well, we have no way of knowing, at this point, which of those didn’t, or who were afraid or, for some reason, weren’t part of our study.

But Dr. Ocampo believes this study represents a good start to analyzing, proposing, and achieving favorable policies for maternal health care.

Something we really need to study a little more about is the intersection between maternal health care, mental health care, and, truly, access to a dignified life.

Access to public transportation, comprehensive nutritional care, and childcare, in addition to crucial and necessary financial support, are what participants report as essential for a dignified life.

I also strongly support the increase in the number of Black and Latina women in professions that also provide maternal care. So, many of the women we surveyed also said this would be important.

The study is an effort to raise awareness among providers, hospitals, nursing teams, and of course, mothers.

Many thanks to my colleague Daniela Rodriguez, a fellow at the University of Berkeley, CA.

This report is supported in part by The David and Lucille Packard Foundation.