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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Politics
Aletha Adu

Tories blasted as black women 40% more likely to experience pregnancy loss

The Government has been accused of denying structural racial inequality exists as figures show black women are 40% likely to experience pregnancy loss.

Shadow Women and Equalities Minister, Taiwo Owatemi said the Tories have failed to prioritise the inequalities in healthcare that are leaving black women's lives at risk.

Women of all ethnicities have difficulties during pregnancy and the care associated with it.

But black women are at a high risk of miscarriage and are vulnerable to long-term health problems like blood clots, heart disease and depression.

Lancet analysis of data on 4.6 million pregnancies in seven countries found the risk is 43% higher than for their white counterparts.

Shadow Women and Equalities Minister, Taiwo Owatemi (TIM EASTHOPE/BIRMINGHAM MAIL)

And black women are also four times more likely to die during childbirth in comparison to their white counterparts.

Isabel Gomes Obasi from Coventry said giving birth was "traumatic" because doctors didn't listen to her and she was left questioning herself.

"I just shut down," she told the BBC. "The experience made me anxious and depressive, if not suicidal."

Asked why she was not listened, she said reluctantly, "the colour of my skin".

Adding, the attitude of some staff was: "You have black skin - you are not from here - you can wait."

Black women are also four times more likely to die during childbirth than their white counterparts (Getty Images/Tetra images RF)

Ms Owatemi said: “The appalling entrenched inequality that leaves Black women at a much higher risk of pregnancy loss is a damning indictment of the Conservative government.

“For over a decade, ministers have failed to prioritise Black women’s health and failed to tackle the deep-seated structural inequalities in healthcare that are putting them at risk.

“While Labour has called for a national strategy to tackle health inequalities, with ministerial accountability and targets, the Conservatives have delayed a women’s health strategy for England and denied structural racial inequality even exists.

“The next Labour Government will treat Black, Asian and minority ethnic women with respect by bringing in a Race Equality Act to tackle structural racial inequality at source.”

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