According to Every Mother Counts, more than a third of all counties in the United States do not have an obstetric care provider. The lack of obstetricians, midwives, hospitals, and birth centers means that basic levels of care are not being provided throughout the US - especially in rural areas. Women in these areas who have high-risk pregnancies often do not have access to specialists who can help treat their conditions.

Most people assume that a woman will see the same physician throughout her pregnancy. However, many pregnant women, especially those enrolled in Medicaid, see different care providers at each prenatal visit. Medicaid pays for 65 percent of births to Black mothers, meaning that many Black women meet the physician or midwife attending their birth for the first time when they arrive at the hospital in labor. This means that warning signs, symptoms, and progressive health concerns often fall through the cracks and women are not receiving the necessary care at the correct time.

Even if the Black mother has access to appropriate care, studies show that the quality of care differs based on their race. A 2016 survey of white medical students conducted by the University of Virginia shows that nearly half of the students believe that Black patients have less sensitive nerve endings—affecting pain perception and treatment recommendation accuracy for Black patients. In fact, in 2021 the CDC “accelerated its work to address racism as a fundamental driver of racial and ethnic health inequities in the United States.”