Adekunle authors new publication in Health Equity

Tiwaladeoluwa Adekunle, PhD, assistant professor in the Division of Reproductive and Population Health, recently co-authored a study published in Health Equity. Co-authors include Megan E. Martin; Carol Haywood, PhD; Kate Caldwell, PhD; Clancy Barry; ShaRhonda Dawson, MS; and Kara Hoppe, DO, PhD.

In “Obstetric Racism and Ableism: A Narrative Review of Barriers to Obstetric Care and Maternal Health Outcomes for Black Disabled Women,” authors conducted a narrative review of peer-reviewed and gray literature on how racism and ableism shape obstetric care for Black disabled women using an intersectional ecological framework. The results showed that:

“Barriers to obstetric care for Black disabled women include: (1) maternal care deserts and inaccessible facilities; (2) inadequate preconception and prenatal care; (3) provider bias, surveillance, and reproductive coercion; (4) gaps in provider knowledge and training on disability and culturally congruent care; and (5) policy failures, such as weak disability rights enforcement, Medicaid nonexpansion, restrictive reproductive laws, and absent intersectional data. These barriers are rooted in racism and ableism, which intersect to cause care delays and denials, fuel mistrust, and increase risks of severe maternal morbidity and mortality.”

Read the whole article here. 

**by Ob-Gyn Communications Intern Melis Baskaya