CDC report: 1 in 5 women mistreated while receiving maternity care, 30% of those women Black

The CDC says 45% of women who reported mistreatment held back their concerns and questions in fear of being embarrassed or not feeling confident.

Elly Morillo and News 12 Staff

Aug 23, 2023, 12:25 AM

Updated 339 days ago

Share:

A new report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is highlighting a national maternity care crisis, particularly affecting minority mothers. 
Analyzed data from the Porter Novello View Moms survey says about one in five women have been mistreated while receiving maternity care. The CDC says 30% of mothers reporting mistreatment were Black, while 29% were Hispanic and 27% were Multi-racial. The CDC says the most common type of mistreatment reported were issues like women not having their physical privacy protected, being shouted at or scolded and even being threatened with withholding treatment. 
The CDC says 45% of women who reported mistreatment held back their concerns and questions in fear of being embarrassed or not feeling confident. 
"Providers need to be trained on what does it mean to center a birth and reproductive justice framework, institutions or anyone who comes in contact with someone who is pregnant needs to be trained on what does it mean to center someone and it's really sad where we have to have conversations on what does it mean to treat someone with respect and dignity," said founder and CEO of Ancient Song Doula Services Chanel Porchia-Albert. 
The CDC also says their agency has a "Hear Her" campaign that provides resources for health providers and for pregnant and post-partum women.


More from News 12