Medical school curriculums have been found to contain problematic and outdated information regarding the healthcare of Black women. The erroneous claims include the belief that Black women have less sensitive nerve endings, requiring less anesthesia, and that their blood coagulates faster than that of white women, leading to delayed treatment for dangerous hemorrhages. Additionally, textbooks often depict childbirth using illustrations based on European women’s pelvic anatomy, which can result in unnecessary interventions being performed on nonwhite individuals, incorrectly deeming their variability as “abnormal or high-risk.”
Dr. Kanem, a prominent figure in the field, emphasizes that when a Black woman dies during childbirth, the blame is often placed on her supposed lifestyle choices or individual failure. This perpetuates a narrative that fails to acknowledge systemic issues and medical biases. However, the new report categorically refutes these unjust claims.
One concerning trend is the rise in maternal deaths in Latin America, North America, and the Caribbean. The overall maternal mortality ratio has increased by approximately 15% between 2016 and 2020. Officials have become increasingly interested in identifying contributing factors, particularly the impact of race. With more than 200 million people of African descent in the Americas, racial disparities in maternal mortality cannot be ignored. In the United States, for instance, Black women are three times more likely to die during or shortly after childbirth compared to their white counterparts. This disparity persists across income and education levels, with even Black women holding college degrees being 1.6 times more likely to experience maternal mortality than white women who have not completed high school.
In response to these alarming statistics, the United Nations (U.N.) calls for action from medical schools, healthcare providers, and governments. The U.N. urges medical schools to reassess their curriculums, addressing the problematic content and incorporating a more inclusive and accurate understanding of healthcare. Hospitals are also encouraged to strengthen policies regarding denial of care and patient abuse, ensuring that every individual receives appropriate and respectful treatment. Additionally, medical teams must consider innovative strategies to help Black women overcome structural barriers that hinder access to sufficient prenatal care, including addressing transportation and insurance challenges. The U.N. proposes partnering with Black traditional healers and midwives to navigate longstanding reservations and improve healthcare experiences.
Furthermore, the U.N. project reveals a significant lack of surveillance data, hindering the comprehensive understanding and public awareness of these issues. The report emphasizes the need for every country to enhance their data collection efforts to facilitate the design of effective interventions.
Overall, this report sheds light on the disparities in maternal healthcare faced by Black women and calls for immediate action to rectify the systemic biases and improve outcomes for all individuals.
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