More than half of pregnant U.S. women say they must fight to get the care they need

The quality of care that pregnant women receive and their overall experience with the health care system can vary significantly, the latest State of Maternal Health Report from the Harris Poll found.

Nearly 4 in 10 women who currently are or have been pregnant say they experienced challenges to accessing care during pregnancy and childbirth, with more than half saying they believe they must fight to receive the medical care they need. Access-to-care issues are even more pronounced among younger women aged 18-34; women living in the South; employed women; and mothers with children younger than 18.

“The data clearly show that not only are many women feeling disregarded and underserved by our health care system during one of the most vulnerable times in their lives, but there is also an overwhelming demand for immediate improvements to ensure the safety and wellbeing of all mothers in America,” said Christina Lojek, research manager for The Harris Poll. “Furthermore, the results confirm that access to care and care quality issues are becoming more prevalent, and depending on which state you live in, you could be more at risk.”

Not being able to access such important care can have a negative impact on the entire pregnancy journey, from experiences to outcomes. Other findings from the survey surrounding care quality include:

• Only 42% of women who currently are pregnant or ever have been pregnant strongly believe they had access to the best possible care when they were pregnant, a significant drop from 50% in 2022.
• Younger women are particularly affected, with less than a third in the 18-34 age group strongly believing they received the best possible care.
• More than one-tenth of women who have been pregnant say their prenatal care (11%), labor care (12%) and delivery care (12%) were less than adequate. About 15% say the same of their recovery care, and one-fourth say their postpartum care was inadequate.
• About 14% of women who have been pregnant did not feel heard by their provider during their prenatal care visits.

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Two-thirds of women expressed concern that the current political climate is exacerbating the risks associated with pregnancy and childbirth. Women across the nation are demanding change, with 83% saying more needs to be done to ensure safer pregnancy and birthing conditions and 45% strongly endorsing this view.

“In light of these findings, there is a clear call to action for health care providers, policymakers and community leaders to take decisive measures toward reforming maternal health care practices and policies,” the survey report concluded. “Ensuring that all pregnant women have access to the highest standard of care needs to be an urgent public health priority.”