Raising Awareness About Health Disparities for Black Moms

May 26 15:48 2022

UNITED STATES – May 26, 2022 – In recognition of Black Maternal Health Week from April 11-17 of 2022 Kaiser Permanente Patient Partner, Malaysha Castillo spoke about her own high risk pregnancy struggles as a Black mom. Malaysha had battled with gestational diabetes and preeclampsia. She was initially diagnosed with gestational diabetes for her first child. Then followed by a quick development of preeclampsia, a potentially fatal condition, with her second child. Fortunately with early detection and diet modifications she was able to abstain from more severe problems that Black and Brown women often face. BIPOC women are three to four times more likely to have complications than their white counterparts.

Whenever a mother passes during pregnancy, childbirth or following childbirth it has devastating impacts on her community. Evidence-based interventions are needed to help protect women from the disparities in maternal mortality and perinatal outcomes. Collaboration amongst health care professionals and patients is essential to creating a focused effort to decrease these disparities. Health care teams and clinicians must be educated and implement systems to recognize racism and unconscious bias.

A consequence of systemic racism is internalized oppression that BIPOC individuals face. Overcoming internalized oppression means empowering individuals and letting them know their experience is not inherently their problem alone. It was important for Malaysha to be involved in sharing her story at Black Maternal Health Week to help reduce stigma and increase awareness. She states, “We need to have these discussions, and for Black mothers to know they are not alone. Advocating for yourself in the delivery room is essential. If you’re not in your best health now, work with your doctor to address concerns and seek out mental health support.” Malaysha Castillo is also a licensed mental health professional employed in the private practice setting. She has been helping individuals overcome their own mental health struggles since 2011.

To read more about Black mental health and wellness you may visit her personal site here: https://malaysha.com/improving-black-wellness-and-black-mental-health/

Media Contact
Contact Person: Malaysha Castillo, LMFT
Email: Send Email
Phone: 971-319-0660
Country: United States
Website: https://malaysha.com/