Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention demonstrate that Black women in the United States are three times more likely to die from a pregnancy-related cause than are white women. Health disparities among people of color are the result of broader social and economic inequities rooted in racism and discrimination.
In a new study to be presented today at the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine’s (SMFM) annual meeting, The Pregnancy Meeting™, researchers will unveil findings that suggest that pregnant people who are Black may prefer to have an obstetrician who is also Black.
The qualitative study explored Black birthing people’s lived experiences with obstetric care and their perspectives on having an obstetric care provider who is also Black.
Researchers conducted 16 one-on-one interviews and five focus groups with individuals who self-identified as Black or African American. The researchers who conducted the interviews and focus groups also identified as Black women. The mean age of the study’s 32 participants was 34, nearly two-thirds (63 percent) were married, and nearly three-quarters (72 percent) had a bachelor’s degree or higher.
Five common themes emerged during the interviews: 1) participants’ desire for a Black obstetric care provider, 2) their difficulty finding a Black obstetric care provider, 3) their experiences of being stereotyped while receiving obstetric care, 4) their feelings about not being heard by obstetric providers and healthcare staff, and 5) their fear of dying while pregnant or during childbirth.
For more visit: https://www.news-medical.net/news/20240214/New-study-reveals-Black-pregnant-individuals-preference-for-Black-obstetric-care-providers.aspx