# Stories From Black Women in Iowa About Reproductive Health Care Experiences, Self‐Advocacy, and Recommendations for Change

## TL;DR

Black women in Iowa face challenges in reproductive healthcare, including poor treatment and mistrust, but advocate for better listening and inclusive care practices.

## Contribution

This study highlights the specific reproductive healthcare experiences of Black women in Iowa and offers actionable recommendations for systemic and clinical improvements.

## Key findings

- Black women reported suboptimal healthcare and differential treatment due to race.
- Participants emphasized the need for providers to listen and adopt person-centered care.
- System changes like workforce diversification and better clinical tools were recommended.

## Abstract

What are Black women's experiences when seeking reproductive health care in Iowa?

Narrative‐style qualitative research.

Adult Black women in Iowa were recruited for phone interviews. Data was analysed using within and across case methodology.

Clinical experiences included suboptimal healthcare, a lack of information, and being treated differently because they were Black. Consequences included not returning to the provider, mistrust of providers and health systems, but also greater self‐advocacy.

The findings from this study are illustrative of the realities that Black women in Iowa faced when seeking reproductive healthcare.

Women in this study voiced a need for health professionals to actively listen to people under their care, demonstrate genuine human concern, and adopt person‐centred and shared decision‐making models for care delivery. Recommended system changes include a need to further diversify the workforce, improve training for the care of persons of colour, and develop better clinical tools that consider different skin and body types.

Members of the public were involved in the study design and interpretation of findings. Their contributions included providing feedback on research proposal drafts and attending research team meetings to ensure that the research itself did not contribute to racism. Community members with the shared identity of research participants also provided an interpretive lens for the data, crucial for the understanding of white research team members who have not experienced racism.