Dear John,

As a Black woman and physician who has provided the full range of pregnancy related care for thousands of patients, I see every day how our maternal health system is failing—and how Black women* bear the brunt of this failure.

* We use “women” while acknowledging the fact that people of all genders, including trans people and those who experience gender beyond the binary, need and deserve comprehensive reproductive health care including prenatal, pregnancy, and abortion care.

The systems that result in higher rates of mortality for Black women are the same ones that limit and eliminate access to seeking abortion care.

In my op-ed for Rewire News Group, I detail how abortion restrictions are part of a long legacy of attempts to control the reproduction of Black women and what we must do to address this crisis.

This includes following the expertise of the Black women who are most impacted by these inequities and advocating for policies grounded in individual agency and autonomy.

Our physician advocates will continue raising awareness during this year’s Black Maternal Health Week and beyond. We’re proud to support Black-led organizations like Black Mamas Matter Alliance and we hope you will too.

In partnership,

Dr. Jamila Perritt
President & CEO