Black women face new challenges following Roe v. Wade decision

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) - Following the overturning of the landmark Roe v. Wade decision, many community organizations are worried about the health of minority women.

More than 450 women this year alone have turned to the Hope Clinic for help with unplanned pregnancies, 60% of them identifying as a minority. However, the clinic leader told us that changing healthcare options could create significant issues.

“We provide great real healthcare information to give them informed information about the options they have here, and we provide amazing parenting support and adoption referrals,” said Hope Clinic CEO Kailey Cornett. “It obviously very much impacts the women that we serve.”

With all of that support, Hope Clinic CEO Kailey Cornett says the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade has her worried for mothers. The majority of those women are minorities.

Historically, minority women have less access to healthcare resources, which already creates significant issues.

“Black maternal health rates are heartbreaking and especially in our state,” Cornett said. “There is not a lot of wiggle room there for women to get care for an abortion here in the state, but we want them to know that it doesn’t mean that they are cornered.”

Cornett says maternal death rates for minority women are historically much higher than other groups, and now with Tennessee’s trigger law making abortion illegal in 30 days, she’s worried minority women will find dangerous ways to get the procedure.

“For the women feeling abandoned, we want to come around them and let them know that they have support, and they have resources that may look different than what they had originally planned but don’t mean that they’re bad.”

Cornett said the organization is ramping up its educational programs and helping more minority women access healthcare resources.

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