Racial Disparities in Maternal Health in the U.S.

Abstract

Black birth givers are 3 times more likely to die from pregnancy than their white counterparts (Center for Disease Control, 2022). While global maternal mortalities have been declining since the early 2000’s, U.S. deaths have increased drastically, more than doubling between 2000 and 2014. Black mothers are dying at the highest rates of maternal mortality than any other racial group in America (Patterson et al., 2022). 

Amid the reversal of Roe vs. Wade this year, access to quality healthcare continues to be under attack, impacting the livelihoods of birthing people across the nation. Now more than ever, failures in the American health system require critical attention. The disparities in maternal health outcomes are a direct result of medical racism which was born out of chattel enslavement in the U.S. The repercussions of slavery have enacted and continue to enact violence against Black mothers. It is crucial to address the historical roots of maternal health inequities in order to find solutions. This paper will examine the legacies of enslavement in America and its role in shaping modern racial disparities in maternal mortality rates in the US today. Additionally, it will explore Black women led alternatives to healthcare in order to find methods for mitigation. The research will address public health specialists and policymakers in order to emphasize the gravity of this issue and the need for action to address these disparities.