SCOTUS Rules Anti-Abortion Group Lacks Standing to Bring Suit WASHINGTON, D.C. – June 13, 2024 – Today, the Supreme Court ruled the Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine lacked standing to challenge the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) approval of...
Higher Temperatures Hurt Moms and Babies
The Problem: Our climate is getting hotter and it risks the health of moms and babies
Intimate Partner Violence Endangers Pregnant People and Their Infants
The Problem: Violence against pregnant people inflicts lasting harm on them and their babies
Paid Leave Is Essential for Healthy Moms and Babies
The Problem: The lack of national paid leave compromises the health and well-being of pregnant people and their infants
Homelessness Hurts Moms and Babies
The Problem: The homelessness crisis is worsening and imperils pregnant people and their infants.
A Systemic Failure: Immigrant Moms and Babies Are Being Denied Health Care
The Problem: Many immigrants are denied access to health care, leaving moms and babies at risk
Called to Care
Too often in our country’s history, the ability to take time to care for yourself and others while maintaining your economic security has been predominantly reserved for the white and wealthy few. Yet, it is through providing care for one another that we knit together the bonds of our families and communities.
Improving Our Maternity Care Now
These four models of care share characteristics that distinguish them from the typical maternal care currently available in the United States.
Clean Water and Reproductive Justice: Lack of Access Harms Women of Color
Many communities across the country cannot trust the safety of their water and cannot afford to pay more for cleaner water. Frequently, Black, Latinx, Asian American and Pacific Islander communities, lower-income communities, rural communities, and communities living at the intersections of these identities struggle daily to access safe, affordable water, and their health is disproportionately harmed as a result.
Clean Water and Reproductive Justice Policy Solutions
Access to clean water is a human right recognized by the United Nations. It is a public health issue that is deeply connected to maternal and reproductive health.
Lead Poisoning in Flint, Michigan
The water poisoning in Flint caused undeniable harm to residents’ reproductive health. Analyzing health records from 2008 to 2015, researchers found that fertility rates in Flint dropped by 12 percent and fetal deaths rose by 58 percent
Pollution in San Gabriel Valley, California
Over half a million Asian American people and 7,000 Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander people live in the San Gabriel Valley. This 200 square mile area of Southern California is also home to rampant pollution.
Nitrate Contamination in San Joaquin Valley, California
San Joaquin Valley accounts for over half of California’s agricultural production and, as a result, has the highest rates of drinking water contamination in the state. Nitrates are a serious threat to public health and can cause severe health problems, such as blue baby syndrome and even death.
Paid Family and Medical Leave: A Racial Justice Issue — and Opportunity
This issue brief describes health and economic disparities faced by people of color to show that addressing our paid leave crisis is a racial justice issue that requires a carefully designed and implemented federal policy solution.
Black Women’s Maternal Health – 2018 version
Black women in the United States experience unacceptably poor maternal health outcomes, including disproportionately high rates of death related to pregnancy or childbirth.