Introduction:

For my Op-Ed I wanted to talk about healthcare and women because those are two topics which are being heavily discussed in politics as of recently. For this paper I did a lot of research, and learned a lot of things which I didn’t know before. I think the way I presented the information along with my opinion was well done but I had a lot of trouble embedding the links of my research within my paper because it was something that I had never done. This paper was very tedious this being because of the evidence that I needed to put into the writing. I think the writing as a whole is done well though and my opinion is well stated.

Millions of babies are born in America each year. Despite many claiming the United States to be the best nation in the world that couldn’t be farther from the truth. American health care is notoriously expensive even with being one of the richest countries in the world. Thousands of women die or have medical complications due to limited health care coverage as well as many women struggling to afford prenatal checkups. From outrageous medical bills to outright medical neglect when reporting pain and or complications, these are reasons why the American healthcare system needs to be reformed. 

For many women in America the cost to have the baby is a bigger worry than having the baby itself. According to The Atlantic Giving birth to a baby in Finland will cost less than $60 while in America it may cost around 4,500 to 20,000 dollars. With this in mind it is no wonder birth rates in America are going down. How does the government expect women to want to have a child when it costs so much? It is no wonder why many might turn to an abortion. It doesn’t make sense for those, especially on the right side, to push for higher birth rates when it costs so much to have a child. It disproportionately burdens those in the poor to working class. In addition the societal expectations for a mother to balance her work and personal life while having a child is difficult already. Having to worry about paying a huge bill isn’t something a person should have to concern themselves with. 

A report by The Commonwealth Fund compares maternal care in 13 other high- income countries. It shows that African Americans in the U.S. have the highest mortality rates at 49.5 per 100,000 live births. The mistreatment of pregnant women in the U.S. extends beyond the mortality rates. According to The CDC 1 in 5 women reported mistreatment including receiving no help, being verbally abused, not having their privacy protected as well as being threatened. Among these 20% of women 30% are black women 29% are hispanic women and 27% are multiracial women who have reported feeling this mistreatment. These statistics reflect the racism and bias among the healthcare system, and also contribute to poorer healthcare. This shows that this issue extends far beyond the cost of having a child and shows how in addition social issues have to be addressed. A CUNY database article about the improvement of healthcare to pregnant women says that one’s socio-economic status negatively impacts their quality of medical treatment. Why do women in the 21st century have to worry about being discriminated against when receiving medical care? When already being in a stress inducing situation having a child, race should take no part as to how a patient is being treated. No matter the skin color or social class every individual deserves the right to be treated with respect.

To improve maternity care, healthcare systems need to consider a patient’s needs. Women in underserved communities need access to care during pregnancy and after childbirth. Medicaid has to be expanded in order to address any financial struggle and help to receive proper care. Healthcare professionals need to be more properly trained and well selected to improve the overall experience of the women giving birth. Education is also a big factor as there needs to be a prevention in women having children at young ages. Focusing on educating young people on contraceptives, STI’s and family planning will help them make better informed decisions throughout their lives. There also needs to be access to legal abortions. While it is a big issue in America as of right now state laws need to stop interfering with a woman’s access to care. Abortions can be life saving and a government official’s  personal opinion shouldn’t matter when it wasn’t their body to begin with. 

While healthcare as a whole is a big issue in America recently, there needs to be a focus on the way pregnant women are being treated. It is not right that people who are not in charge of their bodies make decisions for them. On top of that making it hard for them to pay for the child, which in a lot of cases they do not even want to have. Americans need to work together in order to address this, and while it is more of a political issue, people need to make changes based on what is morally right for this country.