Recent studies and reports have shown that the United States has a terrible maternal health system.
An Analyse published this month found one-third of the nation’s counties do not have access to a hospital or birth center that offers obstetric care – essentially making these regions maternity care ‘deserts’.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, (CDC), is still in operation. ReportAccording to data from 2017 to 2019, more than 4 in 5 women who die during pregnancy or shortly afterwards could have been saved if they had received proper medical care.
The CDC also released this information earlier in the year. reported that Black people are three times more likely to die from a pregnancy-related cause than White people – with variation in the quality of healthcare they receive, structural racism, implicit bias, and underlying chronic conditions contributing to the stark disparities.
Two epidemiologists from Harvard University T.H. Chan School of Public Health, and Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, have now highlighted a larger cause of maternal deaths in the US. It is one that is often overlooked.
In a recent editorial for the BMJ, Rebecca Lawn and Karestan Koenen point out that pregnant people and new mothers are more likely to be murdered than they are to die of pregnancy-related complications such as hypertensive disorders, hemorrhage, or sepsis – the three leading obstetric causes of maternal deaths.
These findings were first published in Obstetrics & GynecologyLawn and Koenen expect the statistics to be emphasized again in 2021, despite recent media attention about the US’s maternal health system.
A second group of researchers will be available in 2022 Find itThe majority of pregnancy-associated homicides that occurred during pregnancy or within a year after birth were associated with intimate partner violence, firearms, and other violent substances.
According to a nationwide analysis, firearms were used for 68 per cent of the US’s homicides related to pregnancy between 2008 and 2019.
“Preventing men’s violence against women, including gun violence in the US, could save the lives and health of hundreds of unborn children every year,” WriteLawn and Koenen
Violence against women is a global problem. However, in the USA, firearms seem to have made matters worse. Lawn and Koenen CallIt is a “health emergency” for pregnant women.
Two epidemiologists argue that greater restrictions on firearms and better regulation are crucial to protect pregnant women. The editorial ignores the possibility that transgender men or non-binary persons can become pregnant. These groups are often subject to violenceIt happens at incredible rates.
According to the authors, the rapid disintegration of abortion care in many US states will likely make the situation worse for pregnant-related homicide.
They explain that unintended or unwelcome pregnancies can increase the likelihood of homicide in abusive relationships.
Black women are already Three times more likelyWhite and Hispanic women are more likely to be killed by their partners during or shortly following pregnancy than Hispanic or White women. They also have a higher risk of suffering from AIDS. Restricted access to abortion services. These risk factors may be combined to make it extremely dangerous.
Trans people in America There are also very few optionsA variety of factors affect termination rates.
The editorial states that it is crucial to prevent homicide by doing research on pregnant risk factors Arguments.
“However, higher quality data is required for further analyses: Recent studies have been limited due to large amounts of missing information on the pregnancy statuses of women who were killed. In large datasets, there is little detail on the relationships and patterns of abuse that led to homicide during pregnancy or after delivery.
Evidence is mounting that pregnancy-associated homicide in the US is one of the leading causes of maternal deaths. It is high time this was addressed.
The editorial was published in BMJ.
