I Study Maternal Health – That's Exactly Why I'm Afraid To Give Birth |
I Study Maternal Health – That's Exactly Why I'm Afraid To Give Birth
"Even as I wrestle with my readiness to give life, it is painfully clear that my own life may not be protected."
“Do you think I should consider freezing my eggs?”
I posed this question to my grandmother and aunt recently as the reality set in that I’m about to turn 30. According to medical science, the older I get, the fewer chances I have for pregnancy. But as we approach Black Maternal Health Week, I find myself returning to that question, and my age isn’t the only thing giving me pause.
Black women’s bodies have long been at the mercy of harsh surveillance, financial instability and health inequities. Because I have a Ph.D. in maternal and child health, I am well aware that maternal mortality among Black women has been a persistent inequity since the 1930s.
In 2023, for example, the maternal mortality rate among Black women was 50.3 deaths per 100,000 live births and significantly higher than rates for white, Hispanic and Asian women. And though there was a slight dip in 2024 (44.8 deaths per 100,000 live births), the statistics remain frighteningly high.
The higher rates of maternal deaths aren’t attributed to one singular thing. Black birthing people are dying, regardless of income or education, because of multiple factors, including structural and........