California state Senator Holly Mitchell noticed that, despite the overall decline of female mortality at childbirth and good statistics in this issue compared to other States, California’s some reason black women die in childbirth in 3-4 times more often than European Americans.
So, according to analysis by the California Association and Medical school at Stanford University, the level of maternal mortality in the state decreased by 55% between 2006 and 2013. «Maternal mortality among women in the state currently is 4.7 deaths per 100,000 births, 3.1 for Spanish-speaking women and 4.1 for women from Asia and the Pacific. However, the mortality rate for mothers of African American women is 17.4».
#BlackMaternalHealthWeek ends today but the question remains: How can we help improve the trajectory of Black women’s maternal and reproductive health? Answer: By supporting #SB464! pic.twitter.com/fJaCfjsfzr
— SenHJMitchell (@SenHJMitchell) April 17, 2019
Mitchell and her colleagues studied the problem and came to the conclusion that the difference in the level of social status or other socio-economic factors can’t explain this statistic, as it ceased to be so striking in the last decade.
Suspicions of racism fell on the doctors. The senators suggested that doctors have racist prejudices and unscientific errors, which lead to increased mortality in this group of patients. Holly Mitchell introduced a bill to hold doctors California outreach and educational work.
University of Virginia confirms the opinion of senators. According to his research a significant part of the responders believe in biological differences between races. For example, 25% said that African Americans have thicker skin, 29%, that is thicker bones. Among other things, many believe that they are less sensitive to pain. This may explain why the results of the study, the African American doctors are much less likely to prescribe painkillers.
If the bill Holly Mitchell will be adopted, doctors are waiting for special courses. As told to the LA Times the President of the Assembly of the state of Sydney Kulager-Giving, physicians, physician assistants and nurses will have to undergo eight hours of training and testing within two years after obtaining the license and every two years thereafter. Similar training will be organized for the police and the judiciary, including judges, bailiffs, secretaries and lawyers.
The chief justice of California Tani of Center-Sakuya already expressed support for the idea of training for judges. In his statement on the state of the judiciary she said that in the judicial sphere, the formation of unconscious stereotypes can affect attitudes and actions of employees.
