Rochester, N.Y. — The University of Rochester Medical Center and Rochester Regional Health hosted a discussion Thursday morning on ways they can work to close health care disparities between Black and white mothers to recognize Black Maternal Health Week.
According to the CDC, Black women are three times more likely to die from a pregnancy-related cause than white women.
The agency also reports that the infant mortality rate among Black babies is almost two times higher than the national average.
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Advocates say education can be used as a way to close that gap.
“We also have a situation where we have a bias towards the same type of care that should be delivered to everybody,” said licensed midwife Jennie Joseph. “Black women are not listened to. They’re not heard. They are ignored sometimes. People of color and marginalized people are not getting the same quality of care, and therefore, they are suffering.”
Wednesday’s event also included real-life birthing scenarios where participants could learn how to handle complications in labor and delivery.
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