Maternal health in the United States has received a lot of much-needed attention in recent years. In this episode of "Facing the Facts," a collaboration between the ABC Owned Stations' Race and Culture and data teams, you'll learn stories about those looking to change the trends and improve outcomes for women at all stages of motherhood. Here are some of the people you'll meet and the places you'll go when you watch our special, "Facing the Facts: Maternal Health.
" In Fresno, reporter Elisa Navarro of KFSN explains the importance of having a doctor who understands your culture and language. Research shows time and again that there are better outcomes when patients and doctors are the same race. But data from the Association of American Medical Colleges shows that just 11 percent of OB-GYNs across the country are Black and 8 percent are Hispanic.
Providers who look like their patients are more likely to catch certain risk factors more likely to occur in women of color like preeclampsia, gestational diabetes and fibroids. Meanwhile, for parental leave, workers are not guaranteed a single paid day under federal law. But as more and more states pass paid leave, reporter Julian Glover with KGO explores whether the national government could eventually follow suit.
One in four African American women get fibroids by age 25 and 80 percent by age 50. Fibroids are tumors that grow on the uterine wall and can impact a woman's pregnancy and cause other issues. Reporter Tarhonda Thomas of .
