“The doctor told me the best way to stop by pain was to abort the pregnancy,” said Chasity Strawder who was three months pregnant at the time of her visit to the OBGYN. Researchers recognize weathering – harmful changes in the body and womb caused by toxic interactions with racism and medical providers – as a cause of the high rate of prenatal deaths in Black American women.
“Medical bias occurs when people of color receive disparate care from medical professionals because of implicit biases they hold about particular populations, and myths about physical racial differences. This usually results in people of color’s health complaints being taken less seriously,” writes Hope Lane, Public Policy & External Affairs Associate at Center for Community Solutions.
In this interview with Miesha Headen and Pastor Aaron Phillips of Cleveland Clergy Coalition on 1490 AM in Cleveland, Chasity tells her story about stressors during pregnancy. She discusses the inability of the medical providers to identify the cause of her pain and their seeming indifference. She also discusses how housing challenges and uncertain transportation hindered her ability to access prenatal care.
American Association of Clergy and Employers 