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Pregnancy can be a time of joy and celebration. It can also be marked by stress and the threat of complications—something that discrimination makes far more likely for many women in the United States.
In 2020, many of us would never identify as racists—most like to think of ourselves as open-minded and fair. We’d like to treat others equally and avoid assumptions based on superficial differences.
Reality, however, as 2020 has also made very obvious, is unfortunately different. There are still many individuals who practice overt racism. Those, meanwhile, who try to be genuinely kind and fair people often still commit microaggressions.
Try as we might, we all have biases as the Harvard Implicit Association Test demonstrates. Although we may try to treat everyone fairly, unconsciously we absorb the culture around us. Whether it’s about sexuality, gender, race, disabilities, socio-economic status, etc., other people’s actions and value judgements impact how we interact with individuals from different groups.
This means that, while many of us may never engage in what we perceive as discriminatory action, we have still committed microaggressions. And, while many occur in a racial context, they can also affect women, LGBTQ+ individuals, anyone with disabilities, or any other group affected by discrimination and marginalization.
It varies. They can occur in any everyday interaction, verbal or otherwise. They can be intentional, but don’t have to be. It may be something that’s said, how it’s said, how personal space is interacted with, assumptions that are made, questions that are asked, etc. They can be verbal or nonverbal—anything that makes it clear for a person that they perceived as less valued, a threat, that they don’t belong or aren’t welcome, or anything else that demeans them, their identity, and those like them.
Examples include:
This list isn’t comprehensive, and although these might seem like small, insignificant interactions, they add up. Imagine, every time we met someone, they assumed we moved to the US from another country, or that, as a woman, we were lost in the engineering department—it would be emotionally fatiguing and frustrating. When it comes to pregnancy, it can also be life-threatening.
Although the US is a rich country, we have the highest rates of maternal mortality. For black women, the statistics are even worse—they are 3 to 4 more times likely to die from complications related to birth. Their babies are twice as likely to die in their first year of life.
These numbers are even worse when we look at the cause of death: many are a result of preventable issues like postpartum hemorrhaging. Why, then, are so many women and infants dying?
The answer is complicated, but the fact that black women with education, higher incomes, and middle-class jobs are also at higher risk than their white counterparts indicates that the problem is bigger than access to top-tier hospitals and doctors. The problem may, in fact, lay in part with the doctors themselves.
Studies show few OBGYNs are black and there are still many stereotypes around women of color who are pregnant or mothers. Chances, for them, are much higher that they’re asked if all their children share a father. They may be given less preference in scheduling OBGYN appointments. Many experience doctors spending less time with them or being dismissive; Serena Williams had to demand attention for what turned out be life-threatening clots when she gave birth, and statistics demonstrate that white patients receive more pain medication and referrals for cardiovascular procedures.
There are groups such as Roott (Restoring Our Own Through Transformation), luckily, which work to help women of color. Many of these provide doulas for pregnant women during and after their pregnancies—a method which has proved highly effective against complications and death.
Of course, many of the doctors in these interactions might not identify as racist, but just like anyone, medical professionals’ actions are effected by biases. Unfortunately, when doctors commit microaggressions, rather than just offending someone in conversation, they may be risking a woman or an infant’s life.
When doctors are more dismissive of complaints, spend less time with patients, or make decisions like performing a c-section without fully considering a woman’s preferences, it can place that mother at risk of a preventable death.
With organizations like the Mayo Clinic taking this issue more seriously, more doctors are receiving training against implicit bias. It’s important, however, that any pregnant women feels heard and cared for. Microaggressions may be subtle, but they can have a serious effect on health and stress. Women from all groups deserve equal medical treatment and to be listened to.
For everyone, we help by being mindful by:
Unintentionally committing a microaggression doesn’t make someone a bad person. It’s important, however, to be mindful in our interactions of how we affect those around us. It’s important, as well, to acknowledge what our own biases are and to be conscious of how these effect our actions. Although it can be difficult to acknowledge that we’ve hurt or harmed others, doing so creates a safer, more welcoming world for everyone—one in which women receive the medical help they deserve regardless of race, youth, or any other factor.
If you are interested in finding a therapist, consider contacting Healing Within, an online platform that provides counseling and emotional support. Through the use of private videoconferencing software or the telephone, I can provide therapy for a variety of challenges you may be experiencing. Reach out today and begin the journey to a more peaceful state of mind.
Cynthia is the Founder of Healing Within, A Licensed Clinical Social Worker Corporation. She is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker providing online counseling/therapy services for adults or teens (13 and older) who reside anywhere within the state of California.
Cynthia also offers consultation services for nonprofit organizations in the San Francisco Bay Area.
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