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Abstract
Black women are experiencing pregnancy-related complications at a significantly higher
rate than women of other races in the U.S., as Black women are three to four times
likely to die from pregnancy-related complications compared to non-Hispanic White
women. Structural barriers and different forms of marginalization continue to limit
Black women's access to quality healthcare services. Through critical race theory,
we examine what structural barriers exist in the U.S. healthcare system, one that
limits access to quality care during their prenatal and postnatal doctor's visits.
Using qualitative in-depth interviews, 31 African American women, living in Milwaukee,
WI, shared their pregnancy stories. The emergent themes include, institutionalized
care - racially insensitive biomedical approach, race and class - unfair treatment
based on health insurance, and race as a social concept - dismissed pain concerns
because you are a strong Black woman. These themes reveal the experience of racial
discrimination toward African American women through healthcare [communicative] practices
that are often times seen as "standard" practices, albeit marginalizing minority populations.
Findings from this study offer insights for healthcare providers on communicative
practices that foster a racially-safe healthcare environment for African American
women.