🌎📊 Plenny Kine Racism an’ Sexism Stay Behind Da High Make Die Rates fo’ Black Wahines When Dey Get Preggy, U.N. Talk Story

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Da U.N. wen come out wit one new report, an’ wen find plenny kine rough stuffs happening to black wahines wen dey try fo’ have keiki. An’ no surprise, dis stay happen plenty in Latin America, da Caribbean, an’ right hea in da U.S. of A. Da report say, more times den not, dese wahines wen go fo’ try get medication o’ help, an’ wen get plenny lip o’ even kaikai from da kine health care guys. 🤬😡

Da U.N. wen dig deep into dis pilikia. Dey wen look at black wahines during da time dey stay preggy an’ wen try fo’ give birth. Dey wen find dat systemic racism an’ sexism in da medical world — not da genetics o’ da kine lifestyle choices — stay one big reason why dese wahines wen experience plenny complications o’ even make die. 😥💔

Da U.N. group, who stay all about sexual and reproductive health, wen look at data from all kine countries in da Americas, including us guys hea in da U.S. Dey wen find dat black wahines stay mo’ likely fo’ get lip service o’ even physical an’ verbal abuse in health care places, making stuffs even mo’ worse. 😓😢

And da really bumbye part, black wahines stay mo’ likely fo’ make die during o’ right afta giving birth. Da U.N. no wen say exactly how much mo’ likely, but still, da numbers stay bad.

Why Dis Stay Big Kine News: Dis problem, no only stay hea in da U.S. Dey get plenny talk story about how da U.S. get high rates of wahines dying wen dey try fo’ get preggy an’ give birth. But da U.N. wen say, eh, not only us guys. Dis stay one big problem all ova da Americas.

No easy fo’ do straight up comparison between da countries, cuz not all countries wen collect da kine health o’ make die data by race. Da U.N. wen look at data from 35 countries in Latin America, North America an’ da Caribbean, but wen find enough info fo’ include only nine in da report: Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Panama, Suriname, Trinidad an’ Tobago, da U.S., an’ Uruguay. 🌎📊

Still yet, dis da first time da U.N. wen examine da data about da health of black wahines wen dey stay preggy all across da Americas. “Da result stay horrendous,” said Dr. Natalia Kanem, da boss lady of da agency.

Dr. Kanem, who stay one doctor an’ black wahine too, wen say dis problem stay “one human rights crisis dat stay mostly ignored o’ no seen by da guys who make da decisions.” 😔🚫

Da U.N. wen say high rates of black wahines making die wen dey try fo’ get preggy was usually chalked up to genetics o’ da kine lifestyle choices, instead of da bias dat start in medical school an’ keep going in health care.

Fo’ example, medical school books stay include all kine wrong stuffs dat say black wahines nerve endings stay “less sensitive” an’ no need so much anesthesia, an’ dat black wahines blood coagulates faster dan dat of white wahines, which leads to delay in treatment fo’ dangerous hemorrhages. 🩺🏥

“When one black wahine make die during childbirth, no matter if in São Paulo, Bogotá o’ New York, da blame stay put on her lifestyle o’ individual failure. Den, da world just move on,” Dr. Kanem said.

But da new report, she wen say, “categorically say no way, Jose” to dat.

Background: More wahines stay making die wen dey try fo’ get preggy. Between 2016 an’ 2020, da overall maternal mortality ratio wen increase by about 15 percent in Latin America, North America an’ da Caribbean. Ova 200 million peeps of African descent stay in da Americas — one in four peeps in Latin America and da Caribbean, and one in seven in da U.S. and Canada. 📈🔎

In da U.S., even though da overall death rate stay da lowest, da racial disparities stay da biggest. Black wahines stay three times mo’ likely than white wahines fo’ make die during o’ soon afta childbirth, an’ dat stay true no matter how much kala o’ school dey wen get. 🎓💵

Wat’s Next: U.N. say medical schools, health care providers an’ governments gotta do something. Dey gotta look at their curriculums, make stronger policies for denial of care an’ patient abuse. Also gotta think about innovative ways to help black wahines who get problems with getting enough prenatal care. 🚑💡

Da U.N. project wen also find dat dey get lack of surveillance data, which probably stay making dis problem not so well known. Dey say, every country gotta step up da kine data collection efforts. If we no can see da problem clear, cannot come up with ways to fix um. 📚💼

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NOW IN ENGLISH

🌎🗣️ Plenty Racism and Sexism Behind High Maternal Death Rates for Black Women When They’re Pregnant, U.N. Speaks Out

The U.N. has released a new report, and it found a lot of troubling things happening to black women when they try to have children. Shockingly, this is a common issue in Latin America, the Caribbean, and even here in the U.S. The report states that often, these women seek medication or assistance and are subjected to verbal or physical abuse by healthcare professionals. 🤬😡

The U.N. dived deep into this issue. They examined the experiences of black women during pregnancy and childbirth. They found that systemic racism and sexism in the medical field — not genetics or lifestyle choices — are major reasons these women experience severe complications or even death. 😥💔

The team from the U.N., which focuses on sexual and reproductive health, looked at data from various countries in the Americas, including the U.S. They discovered that black women were more likely to face verbal or physical abuse in healthcare environments, leading to worse outcomes. 😓😢

The truly horrifying part is that black women are more likely to die during or soon after giving birth. The U.N. didn’t specify how much more likely, but the numbers are bad.

Why This is Important: This problem isn’t just in the U.S. The high rates of maternal death in the U.S. have caused public concern in recent years. But, the U.N. argues that this is a problem across all of the Americas.

Comparing the situation directly between countries is challenging, as not all nations collect health or mortality data by race. The U.N. looked at data from 35 countries in Latin America, North America, and the Caribbean, but only had enough information to include nine in the report: Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Panama, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, the U.S., and Uruguay. 🌎📊

Still, this is the first time the U.N. has examined the maternal health data of black women across the Americas. “The result is horrendous,” said Dr. Natalia Kanem, the executive director of the agency.

Dr. Kanem, who is also a physician and black, called the problem “a human rights crisis that is largely ignored or overlooked by decision makers.” 😔🚫

The U.N. said that high maternal death rates among black women have historically been attributed to genetic factors and lifestyle choices, instead of bias that begins in medical school and persists in healthcare delivery.

For instance, medical school textbooks include false statements suggesting that black women’s nerve endings are “less sensitive” and require less anesthesia, and that black women’s blood coagulates faster than white women’s, leading to delayed treatment for dangerous hemorrhages. 🩺🏥

“When a black woman dies during childbirth, whether in São Paulo, Bogotá, or New York, the blame is often placed on her lifestyle or individual failure. And then, the world just moves on,” Dr. Kanem said.

But the new report, she said, “categorically refutes that.”

Background: Maternal deaths are increasing. Between 2016 and 2020, the overall maternal mortality ratio increased by about 15 percent in Latin America, North America, and the Caribbean. There are over 200 million people of African descent in the Americas — one in four people in Latin America and the Caribbean, and one in seven in the U.S. and Canada. 📈🔎

In the U.S., even though the overall death rate is the lowest, the racial disparities are the largest. Black women in the U.S. are three times more likely than white women to die during or soon after childbirth, and this persists across income and education levels. 🎓💵

What’s Next: The U.N. urges medical schools, healthcare providers, and governments to take action. They need to reassess their curriculums, establish stronger policies regarding the denial of care and patient abuse. They also need to consider innovative ways to help black women who face challenges getting sufficient prenatal care. 🚑💡

The U.N. project also revealed a significant lack of surveillance data, which has likely kept the problem from becoming well-known. They recommend every country to improve its data collection efforts. Without a clear view of the problem, it will be nearly impossible to design solutions. 📚💼