Black Maternal Health Week is April 11 – 17

RICHMOND, Va. —Richmond and Henrico Health Districts (RHHD) commemorate Black Maternal Health Week April 11-17 by highlighting services for women offered at RHHD clinics, offices, and resource centers.

“Black Maternal Health week gives us an opportunity to live into our public health mission of promoting healthy living and preventing disease,” said Richmond and Henrico Health Districts Director of Community Programming Margo Webb. “Through public health data, we know that our Black families are at the highest risk for adverse maternal and child health outcomes. By reflecting on the unique and important historical and cultural aspects of the Black community, we can work together to improve these outcomes.”

RHHD offers the following programs and services that focus on reproductive and maternal and child health.

• Ensuring women have control over reproductive health
  • RHHD offers Family Planning and STI clinical services at its Henrico East, Henrico West, and Cary Street (STI only) clinics, as well select resource centers. All services are offered on a sliding scale based on financial availability. Family Planning visits offer the following services:
    • Gynecological check-ups for women desiring birth control
    • Breast self-exam instruction
    • Pap smears and screening tests for sexually transmitted infections
    • Birth control methods & counseling
  • RHHD also offers HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) services at its Henrico East Clinic and Cary Street Clinic. PrEP is a medication that reduces a person’s chances of getting human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), the virus that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). PrEP may also be an option to help protect pregnant people and their babies from getting HIV while trying to get pregnant, during pregnancy, or while breastfeeding. Virginia residents can contact the RHHD PrEP team at 804-664-2125. 

• Improving access to maternal health
  • The Maternity Navigation team supports expectant parents with pregnancy confirmation, connection to prenatal care, benefits enrollment, and material distribution. Richmond residents seeking Maternity Navigation services can call 804-482-5454. Henrico residents seeking Maternity Navigation services can call 804-501-5520.
• • The Black birthing population continues to experience adverse maternal, child health outcomes. They have an increased risk of severe illness during pregnancy and preterm birth.
  • The Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC)  provides nutrition education and healthy foods to improve pregnancy outcomes and enable families to make lifelong healthy eating and lifestyle choices. Virginia residents can apply for WIC support through this online form.
  • RHHD clinical services accept Medicare, Medicaid, and private insurance. RHHD participates in Virginia Vaccines for Children and Virginia Vaccines for Adults, providing free immunizations to children and adults who are uninsured or underinsured.
  • RHHD connects women to primary care providers that focus on women’s health.

Each year in the United States, hundreds of people die during pregnancy or in the year after. Thousands more have unexpected outcomes of labor and delivery with serious short- or long-term health consequences. More than 80% of pregnancy-related deaths in the U.S. are preventable. Recognizing urgent maternal warning signs, providing timely treatment, and delivering respectful, quality care can prevent many pregnancy-related deaths.

According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Black women are three times more likely to die from a pregnancy-related cause than White women. Multiple factors contribute to these disparities, such as variation in quality healthcare and underlying chronic conditions. Social determinants of health prevent many people from racial and ethnic minority groups from having fair opportunities for economic, physical, and emotional health.

Tips for pregnant women and their families

• Talk to a healthcare provider if anything doesn’t feel right or is concerning.
• Seek immediate care if experiencing any of the urgent maternal warning signs, including severe headache, extreme swelling of hands or face, trouble breathing, heavy vaginal bleeding or discharge, overwhelming tiredness, and more. These symptoms could indicate a potentially life-threatening complication.
• Share recent pregnancy history during each medical care visit for up to one year after delivery.
• Connect with healthcare and social support systems before, during, and after pregnancy.

Follow RHHD on Instagram at @richmondcity_hd for more Black Maternal Health Week content. For more health and safety information, visit rhhd.gov and sign up for RHHD’s monthly newsletter at rhhd.gov/news.