Empowerment Through Education: The Promise of Self-Advocacy for Reducing Maternal Health Disparities among Black Women

Abstract

In the U.S., Black women die from pregnancy-related complications at a rate of three to four times that of white women. Literature indicates that due to implicit racial bias, doctors are more likely to disregard Black women’s health complaints. Research also suggests that Black women are least likely to advocate for themselves, leaving them vulnerable. Therefore, encouraging Black women to seek early and appropriate prenatal care and empowering them to self-advocate in clinical settings is critical.

Empowerment Through Education (E2E) is an innovative program for perinatal Black women developed by the Center for Black Women’s Wellness in collaboration with clinicians, community health workers, and clients. The virtual program sessions integrate ACOG guidelines, BMMA’s priorities for holistic maternal care, and the Black Birthing Bill of Rights to educate women on perinatal standards of care, empower women to expect and demand respectful care, increase provider accountability, enhance patient experience, and ultimately improve birth outcomes for Black women. E2E also includes topics such as breastfeeding, preterm birth signs, and postpartum warning signs. The sessions are facilitated by clinicians and national experts to drive meaningful patient-clinical communication.

The four-session series was piloted three times. After each series, participant and program staff feedback informed ongoing curriculum and implementation refinement. Preliminary findings suggest that participants valued their experience in this safe, supportive space and experienced increased health literacy and self-efficacy. The program results have implications for organizations exploring community-based methods for improving maternal health outcomes and reducing medical costs through scalable, culturally relevant interventions.

Keywords

program development, respectful care, maternal and child health, health disparities

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Empowerment Through Education: The Promise of Self-Advocacy for Reducing Maternal Health Disparities among Black Women

In the U.S., Black women die from pregnancy-related complications at a rate of three to four times that of white women. Literature indicates that due to implicit racial bias, doctors are more likely to disregard Black women’s health complaints. Research also suggests that Black women are least likely to advocate for themselves, leaving them vulnerable. Therefore, encouraging Black women to seek early and appropriate prenatal care and empowering them to self-advocate in clinical settings is critical.

Empowerment Through Education (E2E) is an innovative program for perinatal Black women developed by the Center for Black Women’s Wellness in collaboration with clinicians, community health workers, and clients. The virtual program sessions integrate ACOG guidelines, BMMA’s priorities for holistic maternal care, and the Black Birthing Bill of Rights to educate women on perinatal standards of care, empower women to expect and demand respectful care, increase provider accountability, enhance patient experience, and ultimately improve birth outcomes for Black women. E2E also includes topics such as breastfeeding, preterm birth signs, and postpartum warning signs. The sessions are facilitated by clinicians and national experts to drive meaningful patient-clinical communication.

The four-session series was piloted three times. After each series, participant and program staff feedback informed ongoing curriculum and implementation refinement. Preliminary findings suggest that participants valued their experience in this safe, supportive space and experienced increased health literacy and self-efficacy. The program results have implications for organizations exploring community-based methods for improving maternal health outcomes and reducing medical costs through scalable, culturally relevant interventions.