By Julia and Rebecca, students at The University of Memphis
Disparities in health care between the white and non-white populations have been recognized as an increasing social issue in many medicine journals and other research. The fact that a sizable portion of African American women lack access to crucial resources for having healthy pregnancies is what fuels the issue of inequalities. These resources include prenatal care, pregnancy prevention, and routine check-ups due to high costs.
Higher-income neighborhoods tend to provide more resources for sex education and health education. In many of these places, parents’ jobs provide them with access to high-quality health insurance, or they can pay for it out of pocket. Growing up in a wealthy community also tends to give one access to a larger network of social supports that can offer information and assistance to someone who has become pregnant. Additionally, they can afford medication or specialized care for high-risk pregnancies, increasing the likelihood of survival for both the mother and the unborn child.
What steps can we take to reduce these differences?
Laws, attitudes, and preconceived notions about a community or population are frequently the main sources of discrimination. Investing in organizational education through schools or other places where high-risk women meet regularly is an effective way to reduce these disparities. In addition, while educating young girls about the risks of pregnancy is important, we also need to make sure that they have access to resources in the event that they become pregnant. We need to make investments to reform the healthcare system, making sure that everyone is involved.
