The Black Maternal Health Crisis feat. Dr. Shari Lawson and Victoria Revelle

According to the CDC, Black women are three times more likely to die from a pregnancy-related cause than white women, and 80% of pregnancy-related deaths in the United States are completely preventable.  There are a lot of reasons why Black women are at higher risk, including access to quality health care, pre-existing health issues, structural racism, and implicit bias.

Black maternal health is a serious public health crisis worldwide. What can we do to reduce this number and what are the experts doing right now to fight it?

Today’s host Amber D. Dodd, Howard Magazine’s associate editor, digs into these troubling statistics in today's episode, with 2 esteemed guests from the Howard University College of Medicine. Dr. Shari Lawson specializes in Obstetrics and Gynecology at the Howard University Hospital and is a faculty member at the College of Medicine. Victoria Revelle is a program manager for the women's health and OBGYN department at the College of Medicine at Howard University.

Listen as these women discuss the systemic issues contributing to Black women's significantly higher maternal mortality rates, such as structural racism, access to quality healthcare, and implicit bias. Additionally, Shari and Victoria emphasize the importance of advocacy, trusted support systems, and exploring various birthing options.

From HU2U is a production of Howard University and is produced by University FM.

Episode Quotes:

Why are self-advocacy & partner support crucial for pregnancy? 

18:23: [Amber] What should expectant parents and mothers do to ensure that they're being heard when they don't feel right?

18:93: [Victoria Revelle] Yes, I would definitely say advocacy is important. Being able to speak up and advocate for yourself. In addition, I would say having a trusted partner is crucial. So having someone that you can call on and say, "Hey, I've already spoken up. I don't know if I'm being heard," or perhaps maybe you could advocate as well on my behalf to make sure that I'm receiving the rightful care that I know is due unto me as well.

On educating patients and families on critical warning signs during pregnancy

10:39: [Shari Lawson] So, I do think it's really important that patients and their family members or loved ones are educated about the warning signs of something that could be worse. So for them to know, well, if I have a headache, could I have preeclampsia? But they may not necessarily even know to call it that. So I think that that's part of our role as physicians and as community members to make sure that people are aware of what the urgent warning signs are.

The need to fix broken systems, not black women

19:42: [[Victoria Revelle] I do want to mention that language is so crucial and is so important. And so, as we think about finding more solutions, I think it's important that we remember that when we're defining this problem, Black women are not broken. The systems that Black women are in, such as where they eat, learn, work, play, and pray, are broken. So, when we're thinking about how we define this, I want to be clear that we're saying this is a Black maternal healthcare crisis. And so, the care that is being received by Black women is something that surely, as a society, we can work on and improve.

Guest Profile:

• Dr. Shari Lawson, MD | Obstetrics and Gynecology | Washington, D.C.
• Shari Lawson | LinkedIn
• Alliance For Innovation On Maternal Health