More than two women die every day in the United States from pregnancy related causes. Repeat. More than two women die every day in the United States from pregnancy related causes. The incidences of “near misses,” complications where a woman comes close to dying, have increased since 2005. The maternal death rate has almost doubled since 1987. And some officials believe the numbers are underreported as the U.S. has no federal requirements to report maternal deaths.
These disturbing facts were recently highlighted in a report called “Deadly Delivery” published by Amnesty International. That’s right, Amnesty, the human rights organization. From the report, “According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), approximately half of all maternal deaths in the USA are preventable. Preventable maternal mortality is not just a public health issue, it is a human rights issue.”
The United States spends more on healthcare than any other country in the world. Yet women in this country face a greater risk of dying from pregnancy or childbirth than women in 40 other countries. Women of color face the highest risk. The risk of dying for a black woman is four times greater than for a white woman. The report points out that women of color are less likely to begin a pregnancy in good health due to lack of access to healthcare, thereby increasing the risk of pregnancy-related complications. Women of color represent 51 percent of all uninsured women even though they only represent 32 percent of all women in this country.
Said Larry Cox, executive director of Amnesty International USA, in a press release about the report, “Mothers die not because the United States can’t provide good care, but because it lacks the political will to make sure good care is available to all women.”
The report goes into great detail about what contributes to these staggering numbers including lack of protocols around c-sections and VBACs (virginal birth after caesarean), inadeqaute access to contraception and family planning methods, lack of comprehensive postpartum care and not enough prenatal care. Women cite lack of access to healthcare facilities, no paid time off from work, no childcare, language and a host of other barriers as obstacles to obtaining prenatal care. The challenges are greatest for women in poverty and women of color.
Amnesty also places responsibility on the current healthcare system. The report states, “…under the existing system, the way in which the health care system in the USA is structured and financed is failing to ensure that all women have equal access to the health care they need. …Half of all births are covered by private insurance. However, policies that exclude coverage for maternal care are not uncommon and pregnant women may also find that they cannot get private health insurance because pregnancy is regarded as a “pre-existing condition”. Some 42 percent of births are covered by a government-funded program for limited categories of people on low incomes – Medicaid. However, complicated bureaucratic requirements mean that women eligible for public assistance often experience significant delays in receiving prenatal care.”
Which brings us to healthcare reform. We have asserted all along that healthcare should not be a political issue. It is a matter of equity. As President Obama moves to pass some type of a healthcare overhaul, it is infuriating that people and organizations are derailing the efforts in the name of “life.” Supposedly, in the name of life, Reps. Stupak and Pitts, Senator Nelson, and the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops would not only restrict access to the full spectrum of reproductive health services, but Stupak would also derail the entire process, if he can gain the votes. Let’s be honest. “Life” is not the issue here. If it were, wouldn’t the lives of American women matter too?
