And the racial disparities are stunning, with Black women three times more likely to die of pregnancy-related causes than White women, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Butler is quite pleased with her doctor — a relationship made stronger by their shared experience of being Black women. Efforts to reduce Black maternal and infant deaths include legislation, such as the Anti-Racism in Public Health Act under consideration in Congress. More highly skilled doctors aware of the dangers Black women and their babies face — and willing to listen to Black women when they tell them something is wrong. Linda Green, an OB/GYN in Coral Springs, Fla., who is Black, told me that female patients who are Black often come to her after having unpleasant encounters with male physicians, Black and White.

Source: Washington Post January 26, 2021 23:06 UTC