Dr. Jackie Walters made a recent appearance on Dr. Heavenly Kimes’ YouTube channel. Those who watched the live session were able to ask Jackie questions. And many had some health questions for her to answer.
One person, in particular, asked why black women have such high mortality rates in regards to giving birth.
And here’s what Jackie had to say:
Now I wish we knew the answer. And I will not allow myself to say it was health disparity only. The same thing as we’re seeing with the CV, you told me we have to say…We as a race have more comorbidities. And what do you mean by that? Diabetes, hypertension, asthma…you know, things that can compound already having that. Then you turn around and get [CV] and you’re pregnant.
Then you are definitely seeing African American women with more maternity deaths.
Care is important. Crazy enough, we still see patients come into the hospital, that patient has not seen a doctor her entire pregnancy. And she comes in. Fibroids, we’re more likely to have hemorrhage or after delivery if you have fibroids. So many things go into that picture and I don’t want us to think that doctors just aren’t taking care of black women. Cause I can certainly say for the doctors at my practice and around me, we give everybody equal care.
Now I’m going to qualify this and be Dr. Heavenly for a minute. Sometimes as African American women, we’re a bit more dramatic in that you go to the doctor and complain and complain and complain, and you’re not taken serious because you cried wolf the entire pregnancy.
As African American women, we wanna also make sure you’re being serious with your doctor and not playing the game so I can take you off work because then we see you 25 times in the pregnancy. It’s hard to believe there’s a true problem when there’s a true problem.
Some people took issue with Jackie’s comments about some black women not being taken seriously because they cried wolf during their pregnancy.
Check out the video below.
