I’m excited to share a new series of posts here – a regular listing of research, updates, and resources about Black women’s health and wellness. I’ll be including a selection of these updates in my monthly newsletter, so please sign up here if you’d like to receive these automatically in your inbox.
As a Black women who lives with chronic illness and who has had extensive involvement with the industrialized medical system in the U.S., I am well aware of the challenges Black women are facing when it comes to our health, as well as the systemic racism embedded in the very system that is supposed to provide care.
Not enough is shared about the state of Black women’s health – neither among Black women nor in broader societal conversations around health and wellness. It’s critical that we start lifting up the conditions affecting Black women, and moving toward better outcomes and improved lives.
Here’s the latest roundup of news:
A small study has indicated that pregnant Black women prefer seeing a Black obstetrician but may have a hard time finding one. The article also notes:
“Black women’s fear of dying during pregnancy and childbirth is a reflection of real-life risks. The maternal mortality rate of Black women in 2021 was 2.6 times higher than the rate of white women, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A 2022 report by the Pew Research Center also found that 71% of Black women ages 18 to 49 reported having at least one negative experience with health care providers in the past.”
Congressional leaders reintroduce bipartisan Protect Black Women and Girls Act [The Hill]
A bipartisan group of lawmakers has reintroduced a bill that would establish a task force to examine the conditions and experiences of Black women and girls in America – including racial disparities in health care, salary and education.
Profile of Dr. Marilyn Hughes Gaston, the first African-American woman to direct a public health service bureau, and whose study of sickle cell disease led to the nationwide newborn screen program for sickle cell treatment.
What to know about ‘Black girl depression’ [ABC News]
Video: ABC News’ Deborah Roberts speaks with Black women about mental health and the changing dynamics in the Black community toward therapy and normalizing mental health care.
Genetics, lifestyle aren’t biggest predictors of health for Black women. Here’s what is [The Columbus Dispatch]
This article discusses the impact of systemic racism on Black women’s health, with commentary from a 30-year researcher on Boston University’s Black Women’s Health Study, the largest and longest-running (still ongoing) U.S. study focused entirely on Black women’s health.
Changemaker for Black Women’s Health:
Black Women’s Health Imperative
“BWHI continues to be dedicated to promoting the physical, mental and spiritual health and well-being of the nation’s 21 million African American women and girls. Elevating the concerns and inequities that impact Black women to the national stage. Combining science, advocacy, and action to eliminate barriers to wellness for Black women.”