Addressing Inequities in Pregnancy Care and Childbirth in Chiapas, Mexico

Andrea and Rose Jalte
Rose Molina, BWH Connors Center Global Women’s Health Fellow, and Andrea Reyes, Maternal Health Coordinator at Compañeros en Salud

By Rose Molina, MD
BWH Connors Center Global Women’s Health Fellow

The motto of every pregnancy sounds simple: “healthy mom, healthy baby.” Yet, pregnancy and childbirth remain important causes of morbidity and mortality for reproductive-age women in resource-limited settings.

While the conversation about increasing Cesarean delivery rates and “medicalization” of childbirth in the United States continues, the reality in Chiapas, Mexico, is strikingly similar yet a world apart; both under-intervention and over-intervention exist, creating significant inequities in obstetric care. In Chiapas, the lack of access to quality services remains common for marginalized women, and “medicalization” can lead to “obstetric violence,” a term used to describe disrespect and abuse during childbirth. Continue reading “Addressing Inequities in Pregnancy Care and Childbirth in Chiapas, Mexico”