LANSING, Mich. (April 11, 2023) — Today, Sen. Erika Geiss (D-Taylor) introduced Senate Resolution 28 to commemorate April 11-17, 2023, as Black Maternal Health Week in Michigan. This week, now in its sixth annual year, was founded by the Black Mamas Matter Alliance (BMMA). This year’s theme is “Our Bodies Belong to Us: Restoring Black Autonomy and Joy!” and is dedicated to awareness, activism, and amplifying the voices of Black mothers to express the concerns and necessary improvements regarding Black maternal health.
“The inequities between Black mothers and other mothers have intensified,” Sen. Geiss said. “As a state legislator, Black Maternal Health Advocate, and mom, I am deeply aware that we must uplift that our bodies belong to us. We must recognize the intersections of economic justice and reproductive justice policies in order to restore Black bodily autonomy and joy.”
According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), Black mothers in the United States die at two to three times the rate of white mothers. When looking at maternal mortality, Black women have a mortality rate of 55.3 deaths per 100,000 live births, compared to 19.1 deaths per 100,000 live births for white mothers. Not only do Black women have higher mortality rates, but they are more likely to suffer from PMADs (Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders) like postpartum depression. Black maternal death is one of the widest but not the only racial disparities in women’s health; Black women are 22 percent more likely to die from heart disease than white women, 71 percent more likely to die from cervical cancer, and three to four times more likely to die from pregnancy-related or childbirth-related causes.
These disparities do not start in hospitals when Black mothers are giving birth—they are a product of historical and current discrimination, racism, and limited reproductive rights and justice. According to the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology (AJOG), Black women are more likely than white women to report using a contraceptive method with lower efficacy or not having access to contraceptives at all. In addition to contraceptives, Black women lack other necessary reproductive health care such as counseling, abortion access, STI screenings, and reproductive screenings. Black women disproportionately lack the reproductive health care that they need and deserve.
“In sum, Black women receive lower quality health care than white women, which increases severe risks, complications, and death,” Sen. Geiss continued. “These atrocious outcomes are rooted in racial and reproductive oppression. We must invest in efforts that advance movements and justice for Black mothers in Michigan and throughout our country. I will continue fighting for Black mothers during and after Black Maternal Health Week. Health care is a human right.”
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