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Sunday, April 21, 2024 | 2 a.m.
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This past week was Black Maternal Health Week, a time to highlight the importance of Black maternal health.
We are in a maternal health crisis in this country and in Nevada. Black women are three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related complications than white women in America. And here in Nevada, the maternal mortality rate is four times higher for Black women than our white counterparts.
Nevada’s first-of-its-kind majority-women Legislature has been leading on this issue, and thanks to my legislative sisters in service and the work of our Democratic leaders at the state level, we’ve made real progress. In 2019, the Legislature voted to establish a maternal mortality review committee, which is helping us address the divide in health outcomes in rural and underserved communities, as well as communities of color. Lawmakers have continued to fight for legislation that establishes freestanding birthing centers and expands access to doula services that will address the disproportionately negative outcomes that Black women face.
But there is so much work to be done at the federal level. That’s why, as Black mothers and as leaders who have taken on this issue, we are grateful that President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris have made it a priority to address this emergency directly and reduce racial disparities in maternal health care. They’ve allowed states to expand Medicaid postpartum coverage from just 60 days to 12 months — which helps provide health care coverage for approximately 65% of births to Black mothers.
Harris launched the first White House Maternal Health Day of Action and helped launch the Maternal Mental Health Hotline, where new and expecting moms can connect with professional counselors. She’s also worked to expand access to doulas and midwives.
As Black women, regardless of socioeconomic status, our concerns are too often ignored by doctors; in Nevada alone, a survey of Black women found that only 1 in 4 felt “entirely heard” by their doctors. Biden and Harris have worked to diversify the maternal health workforce to ensure Black women receive culturally competent doctors and providers who can address our needs.
These actions will save the lives of Black mothers and babies, and we can’t take for granted leaders who hear us, who see us, and who will fight for the things we care about.
Despite the progress, we cannot forget what’s at stake for us, as Black women and as mothers, in this upcoming election. While Biden, Harris and Democrats are tackling the Black maternal health crisis head-on, Donald Trump took us backward by appointing Supreme Court justices who overturned Roe v. Wade.
A Trump presidency would be catastrophic for Black women. Last week, he bragged about being “proudly the person responsible” for overturning Roe — which has already affected Black women. In fact, 68% of OB-GYNs have said that because of the overturning of Roe, management of pregnancy-related emergencies that disproportionately affect Black women has worsened. And if reelected, Trump would undoubtedly work with his allies to ban abortion nationwide — with or without Congress’ help.
We’ve seen the impact of Trump in abortion bans across the country, including this month in Arizona, when its state Supreme Court revived an abortion ban from 1864 — before women could even vote — with no exceptions for the rape, incest or the mother’s health. This ruling will cause even more patients seeking reproductive health care providers to flee to Nevada, where our health care system is already feeling the strain of Trump’s abortion bans.
Injustice toward women anywhere is a threat to women everywhere, and what happens to women in Arizona impacts women in Nevada.
Three hundred thousand Black Americans lost health insurance in just the first two years of Trump’s presidency, and he was one vote away from repealing the Affordable Care Act. Now he’s promising again to “terminate” the ACA if reelected, which would rip insurance coverage from over 3 million Black Americans.
The results of this election could not be more consequential for Black women in Nevada and across the country. Biden and Harris have repeatedly shown their commitment to protecting and strengthening Black maternal health, while Trump is promising to rip away the progress we’ve made. Trump puts our lives at risk. So this November, we’re committed to reelecting the president and vice president to ensure that the maternal health crisis is addressed.
Daniele Monroe-Moreno is chair of the Nevada Democratic Party.