We need to change how (and for what) providers are paid, in order to support and incentivize equitable, high-quality primary care.
Democracy & Abortion Access
In a political landscape that moves the question of abortion access to the states, NPWF demonstrates the connection between the representation of women and women of color in state legislatures and better policy outcomes for those seeking abortions.
Fact Sheet: Black Women’s Maternal Health
The United States has become even more dangerous for Black people to give birth. Regardless of socioeconomic status, Black women and birthing individualsNOTE: We recognize and respect that pregnant, birthing, postpartum, and parenting people have a range of gender...
Black Women’s Maternal Health
The reproductive health of Black women has long been compromised by interpersonal, institutional, and structural racism. In addition to contending with social and economic drivers of poor health that undermine Black Americans, they have experienced discriminatory health care practices and abuse from slavery to the present.
State Abortion Bans Threaten 6.7 Million Latinas
The Dobbs decision has unique impacts on Latina communities.
Las prohibiciones estatales para el aborto amenazan a 6.7 millones de Latinas
La decisión de anular Roe v. Wade ha perjudicado a millones de personas en todo el país, impidiendo su acceso al aborto, alterando su futuro económico y poniendo en riesgo su salud e incluso sus vidas. La decisión de Dobbs tiene impactos únicos en las comunidades Latinas.
Transforming Health Care to Achieve Equity
The foundation of how health care is paid for is being rewritten right now. Government decision-makers and health care industry leaders from across the country are working to shift health care payment from paying for volume, called fee for service (FFS), to paying for value, called value-based payment (VBP).
Learning Our Lesson: COVID-19 Emergency Paid Sick Leave Showed the Value of a Robust, Permanent Paid Leave Policy
This brief reviews the research and evidence about workers’ and employers’ need for and use of emergency sick and family leave, implementation and enforcement, and the costs and benefits of the program.
State Abortion Bans Harm More Than 15 Million Women of Color
Our analysis shows that one year after Dobbs, more than 36 million women of reproductive age live in states that have or are likely to ban abortion.
Discrimination While Pregnant
Any pregnant person may experience pregnancy discrimination. But because of the ways that racism, sexism and ableism have structured the United States economy, pregnant workers’ need for accommodations — and the harms they may face if unable to access accommodations — can differ significantly. Women and people of color are especially likely to be in jobs that are higher risk and lack adequate health and safety protections.
Our Communities Hold the Solutions
A robust body of research has shown that this type of doula support is associated with better childbirth experiences and healthier outcomes for both parents and babies. Today, doula support is available across a variety of reproductive health experiences, including abortion, miscarriage, stillbirth, and fertility treatment, as well as in other life course settings such as pediatric care, preventive health care, critical care, and palliative or end-of-life care
Improving Our Maternity Care Now Through Doula Support
This report outlines the evidence that supports the unique value of doula support across different communities, the safety and effectiveness of doula support in improving maternal and infant outcomes, the interest of birthing women and people in use of doula support, and the current availability of, and access to, doula services in the United States.
Spotlight on Success: Tewa Women United
The community-centered Yiya Vi Kagingdi Doula Project was created in response to a survey of women in the six Tewa-speaking pueblos and as one approach to mitigate violence against women, children, and Mother Earth. The program supports birthing people and their families with about three prenatal home visits, continuous support while giving birth, about three postpartum home visits, and lactation support, as well as remote support, all within a birth equity framework.
Spotlight on Success: Open Arms Perinatal Services
Open Arms Perinatal Services is an excellent example of how community-based doulas that provide an extended range of prenatal to postpartum care can dramatically improve the health of mothers and babies.
Improving Maternal Health with the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act
The Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA) will ensure that employers provide reasonable accommodations to pregnant employees and that the workplace is an environment where needed accommodations are routinely expected and provided.
Spotlight on Success: Roots Community Birth Center
The Roots Community Birth Center demonstrates the exceptional value of community-based and -led forms of the birth center model for communities disadvantaged by structural racism, intergenerational underinvestment, and other forms of discrimination.
Improving Our Maternity Care Now Through Community Birth Settings
Research shows that care provided in community birth settings can make a concrete difference in improving maternity care quality and producing better outcomes, including for People of Color. Care in these settings that is led by Black, Indigenous, People of Color is a crucial approach for meeting the needs of communities affected by structural racism and other forms of discrimination. This report outlines the evidence that supports the unique value of community birth settings across different communities.
Reasonable Accommodations for Pregnant Workers: State and Local Laws
Thirty-one states, including the District of Columbia, and four cities have passed laws requiring some employers to provide reasonable accommodations to pregnant workers.
Using Paid Sick Days for Medication Abortion
The availability of paid sick days for medication abortion is an essential component of ensuring that people can access care that best suits their needs and preferences, and do so in ways that protect both their health and economic security.
Improving Our Maternity Care Now Through Midwifery
Research shows that midwifery care provides equal or better care and outcomes compared to physician care on many key indicators, including higher rates of spontaneous vaginal birth, higher rates of breastfeeding, higher birthing person satisfaction with care, and lower overall costs. Community-based and -led midwifery services are especially powerful.
