By Naydeline Mejia, Women's Health, February 5, 2021
Everyone deserves access to resources that improve their physical and emotional health. But here's another truth: Black women's wellness needs are *not* always met or accessible. And many health care resources fail to speak to the unique experiences that Black people face.
And no one fares worse from the poor treatment than Black women. In the U.S., Black women have the highest pregnancy mortality rates. During the period between 2014 and 2017, the death rate for non-Hispanic Black women was 41.7 per 100,000 live births in comparison to 13.4 deaths per 100,000 live births for non-Hispanic white women, as just one example. When it comes to mental health care, Black people, in general, are less likely to receive proper treatment, are more likely to receive poor quality care if they do seek treatment, and are more likely to terminate treatment prematurely compared to their white counterparts.
With all of this in mind, it's no wonder why wellness advocacy groups and organizations that specifically serve Black women are increasingly necessary. As caregivers, mothers, essential workers—and having to deal with racial injustice and challenges of living as a Black person in America—Black women can find immense comfort in organizations that provide culturally competent care, meaning care and treatment that effectively factors in and is tailored to meet a patient's unique cultural and social experiences and needs. “You’re getting that support and having people listening and confirming your experiences and pain," says Riana Elyse Anderson, PhD, psychologist and assistant professor at the University of Michigan’s School of Public Health. "You can also practice that advocacy, practice being listened to, so you can then take that information into other spaces."
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