Publication Date: July 12th, 2022
Publication Type(s): Policy Brief
Topic(s): Health Disparities and Health Equity, Healthcare Access, Hospitals and Clinics, Maternal Health, Women
Author(s): Basile Ibrahim B, Tuttle M, Fritz AH, Interrante JD, Kozhimannil KB
Being pregnant in rural America means facing interconnected challenges: a greater risk of pregnancy-related complications or death, and declining access to maternity care during pregnancy and childbirth. For rural residents who are Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC), pregnancy-related health outcomes and access to maternity care are even worse. Racial disparities in rural maternal and infant health outcomes may be related to limited accessibility of clinical care and pregnancy/postnatal support programs and services in rural communities. In this policy brief, we describe these differences between majority-BIPOC versus majority-white rural counties’ available maternal and infant health evidence-based supports.