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PROPOSED RESOLUTION
ESTABLISHING BLACK INFERTILITY AND REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH WEEK IN COOK COUNTY
WHEREAS, Black women in the United States experience unacceptably poor maternal health outcomes, including disproportionately high rates of death related to pregnancy or childbirth, and are three to four times more likely to experience a pregnancy-related death than white women, numbers that are mirrored in Illinois; and
WHEREAS, a person's race should never determine their health outcomes, and pregnancy and childbirth should be safe for all. However, for far too many Black women, safety and equity have been tragically denied due to generations of systemic disadvantages in health care delivery and health care access, including lack of access to health care information and services, lack of insurance coverage, denial of therapeutics, limited access to contraceptive services, and cultural biases and discrimination in medical practice and medical education; and
WHEREAS, additionally overall reproductive health challenges affecting Black individuals and families related to challenges such as infertility are related to lack of equitable healthcare access, and the systemic barriers that contribute to reproductive health disparities in the Black community; and
WHEREAS, reproductive health is a lifelong journey that encompasses infertility, maternal health, menopause, and overall gynecological well-being, all of which disproportionately impact the Black community; and
WHEREAS, black women experience higher rates of infertility, higher risks of pregnancy-related complications, and more severe menopausal symptoms, yet often receive less access to quality care, fewer treatment options, and inadequate medical support. However, it is equally important to acknowledge the reproductive health challenges faced by Black men, an often-overlooked aspect of reproductive health in our community; and
WHEREAS, black men face significant barriers to understanding and addressing thei...
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