Listening to the Perspectives of Black Women on Perinatal Health Disparities: Reversing the Tide and Improving Outcomes

Abstract

Introduction: Pregnancy-related health in the USA fares worse than similarly resourced countries and the gap continues to widen. This trend however is disproportionately experienced by women of color. We have come to understand that this is due to the systems and structures that perpetuate racism. Despite our awareness of this, the voices of the community impacted by these systems have been largely left out of research. The authors aimed to utilize participatory research methods within a qualitative design to ask Black pregnant and parenting women about their lived experiences of pregnancy and perinatal health services.

Methods: Over three focus groups, the authors gathered information from 12 participants. Participants were Black women currently pregnant or pregnant in the last year, ages 22-37 years old. Participants shared their experiences and views on racial disparities within perinatal health care. Our analytic goal was to explore the questions: "What are Black women talking about in relation to perinatal health"; "Where do Black women get information about perinatal health disparities?"; and "How do Black women feel when they hear or talk about perinatal health risks?".

Results: In general, participants felt that the burden to understand their pregnancy risks and options was theirs alone to carry. This resulted in their utilization of and reliance on the internet, social supports, and holistic providers such as doulas for information about how to reduce their risk for maternal morbidity and mortality.

Discussion: Results demonstrate patients' receptivity to frank conversation about perinatal health disparities, and their willingness to partner with their providers to reduce risks in pregnancy. While interventions to reduce perinatal health risks must be systemic, they cannot move forward without including the voices of and partnering with the community they hope to positively impact.

Keywords: Maternal mortality; Perinatal health disparities; Pregnancy; Systemic racism.