September 8, 2023 — As part of its active efforts to dismantle systemic racism and promote principles of equity and inclusion within its editorial processes and content, Obstetrics & Gynecology, the official journal of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, has devoted its entire October 2023 issue to addressing racism in reproductive health. The journal is published in the Lippincott portfolio by Wolters Kluwer.
A journal with such a rich history must root out inequity
"Let us be honest in admitting that the pages we have published in nearly 70 years have not always been a safe space for historically marginalized people, with serious implications," urges Ebony B. Carter, MD, MPH, the journal's Associate Editor for Equity, in an introductory editorial. "This includes impeding scientific progress in achieving reproductive health equity, limiting the careers of colleagues from historically marginalized communities, and advancing narratives that portend that mothers and pregnancy-capable people are culpable in their adverse outcomes."
Dr. Carter specializes in maternal–fetal medicine at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. She notes that "racism is woven into the fabric of every aspect of American society through intersectional systems of oppression," with medicine and academic publishing being no exception. "I have encountered multiple obstetrics and gynecology colleagues vehemently denying this fact, but to do so is to embrace the notion that disparate health outcomes for historically marginalized people in this country are a foregone conclusion."
A diversity of expertise and thought guided the development of the special issue
A transdisciplinary Steering Committee set aspirational goals for the special issue and held a live webinar to introduce them to readers and potential authors. It also created an Equity Rubric, published in the issue, to guide writing and peer review, and expanded the reviewer pool to include faculty who have the expertise to review scientific articles about health equity, now and in the future. Of 120 submissions, 27 were included. A sampling of topics:
Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Antepartum Anemia and Severe Maternal Morbidity
Multilevel Community Engagement to Inform a Randomized Clinical Trial
Chronic Hypertension in Pregnancy and Racial–Ethnic Disparities in Complications
Obstetric Clinical Trial Diversity: Analysis of Trial Focus and Representation From 2007 to 2020
Historical Primer on Obstetrics and Gynecology Health Inequities in America
Strategies to Promote Maternal Health Equity: The Role of Perinatal Quality Collaboratives
Racial Disparities in the Infertility Journey
Why Causation Matters: Rethinking "Race" as a Risk Factor
Reproductive Justice in the U.S. Immigration Detention System
Transcending Language Barriers in Obstetrics and Gynecology
Structural Racism and Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes Through the Lens of Maternal Microbiome
The Power of Language in Hospital Care for Pregnant and Birthing People
Data Equity for Asian and Pacific Islander People in Reproductive Health Research
Bridging Health Disparities and Improving Reproductive Outcomes With Doula Programs
The Future of Research on Racism in Reproductive Health
The entire issue is open access. Dr. Carter expresses the hope that it will "serve as a primer for some, and a reference document for others, as we work to equip our field with the necessary tools to address and mitigate the effect of racism on obstetrics and gynecology."
