This is Not New: Addressing America's Maternal Mortality Crisis

Authors

Emily Siron, University of Richmond School of Law

Abstract

This article utilizes an intersectional approach to examine the causes and

realities of the dismal state of pregnancy-related healthcare in the United

States, highlighting the disparate impact on Black pregnant people. The

enslavementand brutalization of Black women in the U.S. demonstrates how

American society systematically devalues Black health, especially reproductive

health. The impacts of this horrific history persist today, resulting in the

American healthcare system utterly failing Black mothers and pregnant people

of all gender identities. This article surveys this history and presents policy

solutions to improve maternal health outcomes for all, but especially

Black individuals, including proposed pieces of legislation, implicit bias

training, and stricter standards for data collection.

Recommended Citation

Emily Siron, This is Not New: Addressing America's Maternal Mortality Crisis, 25 Rich. Pub. Int. L. Rev. 177 (2022).
Available at: https://scholarship.richmond.edu/pilr/vol25/iss2/9