Written by Justin Herrera

POint of View:
From Birth Control to Death - Facing Black Women's Maternal Mortality

"From Birth Control to Death: Facing Black Women's Maternal Mortality" is a panel featuring experts in racial justice in maternal health. Featured speakers included: Prof. Kimberlé Crenshaw, Laurie Bertram Roberts, Dr. Joia Crear-Perry, Jennie Joseph, Kira Shepherd, and Aarin Michele Williams. This talk explores the ways in which intersectionality can be used to inform discussions of Black maternal mortality. As Crenshaw stated, “what many people don’t realize… is that Black women's vulnerability to mortality stretches beyond class or education…” The varied stories shared during the panel, from abortion restriction to the criminal justice system, are shining examples of how eliminating Black maternal mortality requires reform in more than one institution outside of direct healthcare. There is no separation of issues. As stated by Williams, “...we cannot save Black babies, we cannot save black children, we cannot save Black communities if we do not support Black women.”

In July 2023, we covered a news story and scientific article that further discusses these issues.

Key moments from the discussion:

08:56 - Background on high Black maternal mortality through an intersectional lens

31:05 - Discussion of stereotypes Black women face, the impact on care, and the need for more data surrounding Black maternal mortality

38:39 - The criminalization of pregnant Black women

58:08 - Black maternal healthcare conditions

Resource:
Intersectionality and health explained

Race, gender, and social class have all been observed to have a strong impact on health. Intersectionality is a term coined by Kimberlé Crenshaw to describe overlapping layers of discrimination. The intersectional framework allows us to analyze the ways in which multiple social identities simultaneously impact our day-to-day lives. This short video (3:35) describes how intersectionality can shed light on differences in health experienced by groups of varying identities.

News Story:
She hoped to shine a light on maternal mortality among Native Americans. Instead, she became a statistic of it.

Stephanie Snook, 37, was a member of the Tsimshian and Tlingit tribes of Alaska. She was pregnant with twins when NBC News contacted Stephanie for an interview on disparities faced by Indigenous Americans. As an activist in her community, Stephanie was enthusiastic about being interviewed. Before they got the chance to meet, Stephanie became short of breath and developed pain. Stephanie saw her doctor, but she was sent home. Then less than 24 hours later, she went into cardiac arrest. Stephanie underwent an emergency Cesarean section but tragically lost her life. Within the week, Stephanie’s twins died as well.

The death of Stephanie Snook and her twins shines a light on the many problems surrounding the maternal healthcare Indigenous women receive in this country. Bias can play a large role in the care mothers receive. Indigenous people also tend to have more complex social situations than their White counterparts, such as higher rates of unemployment, poverty, adverse childhood experiences, and violence. All of these factors can contribute to worse health outcomes. This example demonstrates the need for an intersectional focus on maternal healthcare: Stephanie, like many other marginalized women, faced many layers of disadvantage and ultimately became a victim of maternal mortality.

Scientific Publication:
Trends in State-Level Maternal Mortality by Racial and Ethnic Group in the United States

Maternal mortality, or pregnancy-related death, is increasing in the U.S. Researchers for this project investigated how these deaths differ by race and ethnicity over time. They found that in most states, the people most likely to die from pregnancy-related causes were Black or American Indian Alaskan Native. Between 1999 and 2019, the ratio of people dying relative to the size of the population (maternal mortality ratio) increased for American Indian Alaskan Natives more than it did for any other population. Maternal mortality is a huge marker of inequity in the U.S., and Black and American Indian Alaskan Native people are at the highest risk.