Why is infertility affecting so many black women?
There are many forms of inequality, but racial disparities in fertility and maternal health, especially among black women, are predominantly resistant to change. Blacks, indigenous peoples, and people of color (BIPOC) have higher infertility rates, lower access to fertility treatments, and a higher risk of maternal death than whites. Offering the benefits of fertility and family building, we all need to raise awareness of these issues and close these health inequalities. Imagine a world where you can have children whenever you want.
Black women cannot have fertility problems:
This is a myth that has a significant impact on the fertility rate of black women. Infertility affects women (and, of course, men!) Of all races. In reality, various studies have found that women of color are 1.5 times more likely to suffer from infertility than women of other races. Various factors leading to this increased incidence are in our hesitance to take medical assistance, with higher rates of conditions like fibroids. One best way to crush this myth is to start discussing it. Hesitate to see a doctor because you can step forward. It holds many of us hostage.
Infertility and black women: treatment is an expensive epidemic:
This is a myth wrapped in another myth, wrapped in another myth. First of all, it is wrong to consider that all white women are rich! Second, we must stop assuming that only white women need to visit fertility clinics. Finally, and most importantly, it is essential to understand that not all fertility treatments are expensive.
The media will make you believe that fertility treatment is a fad for white celebrities and white women in the upper-class suburbs, but this is not the big picture. Income and education are certainly factors, but a significant number of women visiting fertility clinics are “average women.” The median household income in the US remains around $ 50,000. With fertility treatments ranging from $ 8,000 to over $ 15,000, it is highly doubtful that all of us are the ones who spend a fortune that this myth will make us believe.
But that said, clinics that offer shared risk programs, scholarships, or low-cost treatments make it easy to get treatment for your fertility without going into a low-income family. Moreover, various grant programs are budding up throughout the US that offers all couples the chance to grow their families through adoption or ART, and that is not a fad!
Rooted in Racism
Researchers cannot pinpoint why BIPOC women have a low fertility rate, but there are several theories.
A prominent hypothesis as to why the black community is in poor health may be due to inadequate access to health care and comprehensive health insurance, which prevents patients from even getting primary health care. Though more bad consequences could also be because of “long-term physiologic programming“—or you can say stress.
Systematic racism in our society causes enormous amounts of stress and floods the body with cortisol, increasing health risks. This theory, known as the “weathering hypothesis,” was proposed in 1992 for the first time and suggested that increased stress-related cortisol levels accelerate black women’s ageing. This helps to understand why black women and infertility are more related as compared to white woman.
Differences in customs and culture can also influence why women of color and women of other races experience higher infertility rates. According to a 2015 survey, women of color avoid sharing infertility with close family and friends and may even find it uncomfortable to talk to their doctor. This can lead to delayed treatment and make pregnancy even more difficult.
This study suggests that this silence may be due to the private nature of conception, the desire to be self-reliant, or the cultural expectations of privacy you have shared.
Infertility in the BIPOC Community
Infertility affects 1 in 8 women, but women with BIPOC have an even higher rate of infertility than white women, even taking into account socioeconomic factors and risk factors such as uterine fibroids. Experience Despite these high fertility rates, black women are less likely to be treated and can wait twice as long to seek help.
Various factors contribute to these disparities, including health conditions that affect black women disproportionately. A common cause of infertility is uterine fibroids. Uterine fibroids are benign tumours made up of muscle that can grow in the uterus. Although they can be completely harmless, they can affect fertility and cause complications during childbirth.
Black women are more prone to develop uterine fibroids three times than white women when adjusted for other confounding factors. Approximately 42 out of 1,000 women in the United States are hospitalized each year for uterine fibroids. But black women have higher hospitalization rates, myomectomy, and hysterectomy than white women.
Unfortunately, even if one study found low pregnancy rates, there is not enough data to show whether Native American women are experiencing a decline in fertility. The authors recognized that many factors affect racial and ethnic disparities (social, cultural, nutritional), environmental and physical studies.
If God wants you to have kids, you will have kids.
And if God wanted me to know that you were his spokesman, he would have told me! But thoughtfully, regardless of your personal beliefs, for almost all faith-based communities, how that particular people’s God chose to bless women and couples without children. It turns out that there are stories, myths, and parables to tell. Christians and Jews include Hannah, Sarah, Rachel, and even Sampson’s mother! Having children is seen in various cultures as one of the most dynamic ways God can do this. Show his mercy and strength. Telling someone else that their absence results from their faith are not just inaccurate but a cruel judgment of their faith. Until the blessing happens, we all hope that God’s next hope is that you care about your business.
The bottom line:
Changing that narrative needs to be addressed on various levels. We can achieve this by having more and loud conversation and access to medical assistance to address infertility and black women. And various churches can hurt, rather than help, those who have infertility by characterizing what cannot be imagined as “God’s plan.” Be careful when using the language.