Dr. Marian Sampson
As a physician, and as a Black woman, April is a powerful reminder of the disparities that permeate and weaken our health care system.
Thursday, April 11, marked the first day of Black Maternal Health Week across the United States. This observance was initially launched seven years ago and is meant to bring awareness of the lived experiences of Black mothers. This year’s theme is “Our Bodies STILL Belong to Us: Reproductive Justice NOW!” − a rallying cry to demand comprehensive, accessible, and equitable care for all.
Black women in Florida face disproportionately high rates of maternal mortality compared to their white counterparts. Black mothers are three times more likely to die due to childbirth complications than other individuals — you read that right, three times more likely to die.
There are many factors that contribute to the increased risk of maternal mortality for Black individuals, but it typically comes down to a lack of access to high-quality and timely health care services before, during, and after pregnancy. This disparity isn’t just about geography or finances, racial discrimination and implicit biases in health care create an environment where Black women experience poorer health outcomes.
One thing that inspired me to become a doctor was the excellent treatment I received when I was pregnant. My doctor didn’t look down on me for being younger than his other patients. He showed me respect and made me feel heard when I wanted to discuss my concerns.
Unfortunately, many Black women don’t share my experience; they report being dismissed, invalidated, or even talked down to by medical professionals. The impacts of these health care providers’ biases become especially dangerous when Black women are not taken seriously when they report symptoms, which leads to delays in diagnosis and treatment of pregnancy-related complications.
In a few weeks, Florida will implement the six-week abortion ban which allows for very few exceptions, all of which are very difficult to meet. As a result, it will become even more dangerous to be Black and pregnant in our state.
Everywhere they are implemented, abortion bans disproportionately harm Black, Latino, LGBTQ+, and other marginalized communities who already face increased difficulties accessing health care thanks to long-standing systemic barriers. Furthermore, the same states that have these bans are also the same states with the highest maternal mortality rates and the lowest child well-being rates. That isn’t a coincidence.
I’ve been an OBGYN for 14 years and an abortion provider at Planned Parenthood for almost two years. I spend nearly every day with my patients, and I see firsthand just how important preventive reproductive health care and abortion access are to their life and health outcomes. Research shows that when people are denied abortions, their long-term well-being, and that of their families, suffer.
Trust me when I tell you that there is no medical reason for these abortion bans. And if you don’t trust me, then please trust ACOG, AMA, APA, WHO, and AAP. There is no medical reason for the government to be forcing their way into our exam rooms and standing between patients and their doctors. Period.
Doctors must have every method, treatment, and tool available to help families achieve the best possible health outcomes. When patients can access abortion on their own terms, they are able to do what’s best for their families, take charge of their bodies, and reclaim the control and autonomy that politicians have been robbing us of.
Threatening access to reproductive care in a maternal mortality crisis is exceptionally cruel and dangerous.
Maternal health doesn’t begin when a person gets pregnant, and it doesn’t end when a pregnancy is over. It is something that must be considered throughout all stages of our reproductive lives. Black women disproportionately lack necessary reproductive health care — including contraceptive access and counseling, abortion, STI screenings, and annual exams leaving them vulnerable to many risk factors around pregnancy.
Addressing the Black maternal mortality crisis in Florida will require a multifaceted approach.
This includes expanding access to health care services, especially in underserved communities, implementing anti-bias training for health care providers, and investing in programs that support maternal health education and outreach initiatives tailored to the needs of Black women. Additionally, policies aimed at addressing the social determinants of health, such as affordable housing, employment opportunities, and access to healthy food, are crucial in addressing the root causes of maternal health disparities.
Actions speak louder than words, so we know that addressing the root causes of health care inequity is not high on the Florida Legislature’s to do list. Instead of working to solve the problem, anti-abortion politicians are making conditions even worse with ideologically motivated, medically unnecessary abortion restrictions.
Watching my friends, family, and patients stripped of the ability to make decisions about their own bodies is excruciating. The one thing that gives me comfort is that these laws do not represent the will of the people, and that individuals of every background in every corner of this state understand the danger of politicians being in charge of our private medical decisions.
If you want to fight back against abortion bans, I urge you to visit Yes4Florida.com to learn about the amendment to restore abortion access. And if you want to learn more about Black Maternal Health Week, visit the Black Mamas Matter Alliance website.
Dr. Marian Sampson is board certified obstetrician/gynecologist, fellow of the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecologists, and staff physician with Planned Parenthood of Southwest and Central Florida. She graduated cum laude from Jackson State University in Mississippi and spent 8 years as a science teacher before going on to earn her Doctor of Medicine degree at the prestigious HBCU, Meharry College. Dr. Sampson has provided maternal and gynecological care for 14 years and has dedicated her career to caring for the underserved, including low-income, migrant, and rural populations. A mother of three, she is a member of the Association of Black Women Physicians, the National Council of Negro Women, and a Life Member and Silver Star of her beloved sorority, Alpha Kappa Alpha.