Spotlight on Black women’s health equity | Progyny

While Black History Month is an annual opportunity where people advocate for ways to uplift the Black community, it’s important to also acknowledge the challenges community members face every day. 

At Progyny, we’ve seen firsthand the health equity issues that contribute to ongoing disparities in care for Black women, especially during pivotal life moments. Our benefit is designed to ensure everyone has access to the support and guidance they need throughout their family-building journey and beyond. 

A closer look at healthcare issues among Black women 

Disparities in healthcare for women who identify as Black are exacerbated by persistent social, economic, and historical injustices. Studies show that Black women are twice as likely to experience infertility as other groups and half as likely to seek treatment. A study from the Kaiser Family Foundation sheds light on this reluctance: 

• Approximately one in five Black women (21%) report being treated unfairly in a healthcare setting because of their race or ethnicity—a higher rate than all other adult demographics. 

• Reports of unfair treatment are even higher among Black women whose self-reported skin tone is “dark” or “very dark.”  

• Twenty-two percent of Black women participating in the study said they were refused pain management medication while pregnant or during childbirth. 

These barriers to accessing healthcare are even more alarming considering health and environmental and societal factors that uniquely impact this community: 

• Black women are disproportionately affected by uterine fibroids, common and benign pelvic tumors linked to miscarriage, preterm delivery, and other birth complications. In one study, fibroids were found to be three times more prevalent in Black women than in white. 

• Cardiovascular disease kills more than 50,000 Black women each year, according to the American Heart Association. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), one in 365 Black babies is born with sickle cell disease, and more than 90% of the people in the U.S. affected by sickle cell disease are Black. 

And this alarming statistic from the CDC: Black women are three times more likely to die from a pregnancy-related issue than white women. 

But, with the right care at the right time, we can close the health equity gaps that lead to increased rates of adverse outcomes for Black individuals. 

“The first step is to increase awareness that these disparities exist. Providers must acknowledge their own biases and understand how these influence their decision making, referral practices and patient care. BIPOC women should be screened for high-risk conditions in their early reproductive years, so that chronic conditions may be managed or prevented. We must also consider social determinants of health such as community and work conditions, social norms, economic policies, and systems within healthcare which may have an equal or greater impact on the health of BIPOC women.”

Desireé M. McCarthy-Keith, MD, MPH, Board Certified Reproductive Endocrinologist | Medical Director-Atlanta, Shady Grove Fertility 

Removing barriers with Progyny 

Progyny’s member benefits offerings are designed to support women from preconception through pregnancy, postpartum, and menopause. These benefits are valuable to women of any demographic, but they’re particularly important when addressing issues of equity and barriers to access. Highlights include: 

• Progyny’s 1:1 member matched/concierge support, which offers culturally competent member support and care. Our Progyny Care Advocates (PCA) are clinical experts who are versed in the challenges of equitable access to care. They understand the importance of feeling seen and proactively reach out to ensure each member gets the whole-person care needed to drive successful outcomes—nurturing that critical connection between physical care and mental health. 

• A credentialed, vetted network of top fertility and women’s health specialists across the country. Living in a healthcare “desert” shouldn’t be a barrier to accessing the care you need. 

• Fertility coverage that includes screening for monogenic disorders that can disproportionately affect specific racial and ethnic groups. 

• Comprehensive benefits that acknowledge and address the physical and mental impacts of menopause, including destigmatizing education on the topic and understanding of menopausal symptoms. (Did you know that, on average, Black women begin experiencing menopause symptoms more than eight months earlier than white women—and their symptoms can last nearly twice as long?) 

Progyny’s mission is to empower healthier, supported journeys, with comprehensive care that addresses the specific needs of each and every woman’s journey.