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New Star+ Documentary Tackles Black Mother Mortality Crisis

This documentary production delves into the cases of Shamony Gibson and Amber Rose Isaac, two African-American mothers who died of complications after giving birth. (Star Plus)

In USAAfrican-American women have a higher rate of mortality related to maternity than white women and part of this problem is due to racist bias in the health care system. SOS: American women (Aftershock) is an original documentary Star+ Y Hulu which explores this issue at a critical time for American society when reproductive rights have been pushed back by the latest Supreme Court decision on abortion.

Tonya Lewis Lee Y Paula Eiselt direct this documentary genre production that closely follows cases of Shamony Gibson Y amber rose isaactwo mothers who died from health complications resulting from giving birth to their children. Both could have been saved with immediate attention from doctors and treatment, which is why today their families, activists and obstetric professionals are protesting against health care in their country.

The investigation follows relatives, activists and obstetric professionals who protest against this injustice.  (Star Plus)
The investigation follows relatives, activists and obstetric professionals who protest against this injustice. (Star Plus)

Part of this neglect of the needs of the black women in the US within health care is based on the racism, a relationship that has been studied in recent years by specialists in the field. With the death of more mothers, there are also more families that are marked by the pain of a loss or more children who are abandoned.

According to the directors, the greatest motivation to start the project of SOS: American women they were their own stories and ties to their community. “My inspiration came from the many stories I heard firsthand from women in the United States about too many black women dying unnecessarily from complications of childbirth that could have been prevented,” Lewis Lee told Elle magazine. “My hope is that viewers leave the film empowered to discover and explore the best birthing options available to them, and inspired to do what they can to ensure safe and dignified births for all women in America.”

"SOS: American Women" will be released in Latin America on July 19.  (Star Plus)
“SOS: American Women” will be released in Latin America on July 19. (Star Plus)

On the other hand, Eiselt confessed that part of the reason for working on it came from her own trauma with childbirth and realizing that This experience is universal for black womenwho have higher death rates and higher risks of getting sick: “Black women are three times more likely to die during childbirth than white women. The United States is the most dangerous place in the industrialized world to give birth. This story urgently needed to be told. I hope the public feels empowered by their human and legal right to choose where they are born and who has the privilege of assisting them.”

SOS: American women It also delves into the solutions that can be given from the public sphere to guarantee care that preserves the lives of all women without exception. Likewise, the objective is to involve all the actors within this sphere such as hospitals, universities, insurance companies and politicians to change the culture of maternity and the Birth in USA.

The documentary produced by Disney’s Onyx Collective and ABC News can be seen from July 19 in Star+.

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