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As a human being, I do not support the violent tactics used by police to harm protesters with tear gas and assault. And as an OB/GYN, the use of tear gas on protesters, particularly pregnant people, is downright dangerous. There is evidence that tear gas can cause miscarriages.
Miscarriage has been linked to the use of tear gas in Bahrain ( http://www.thenation.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Bahrain-TearGas-Aug2012-small.pdf) and Palestine ( http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1144&dat=19880601&id=aN4cAAAAIBAJ&sjid=dWMEAAAAIBAJ&pg=6930,23415). In 2011, Chile suspended the use of tear gas over the concerns that it was causing miscarriages. https://latindispatch.com/2011/05/19/chile-suspends-use-of-tear-gas-amid-concerns-over-miscarriages/
This nation already has a maternal mortality crisis among Black women because of the racist disinvestment in healthcare, particularly during pregnancy. How anyone can condone this tactic on Black communities, including pregnant people, is beyond me. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/11/magazine/black-mothers-babies-death-maternal-mortality.html
Racism and police brutality impacts a patients decision as to whether they want to continue a pregnancy or not, and if they continue the pregnancy, the impact of racial discrimination can lead to maternal stress, premature births, and lower birth weights. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/police-killings-of-unarmed-black-americans-may-affect-health-of-black-infants1/
I would love to call on the anti-abortion movement to join me in demanding the police and military stop using tear gas against protesters, particularly those marching for Black lives, to ensure everyone has safe, healthy pregnancies, but their historic silence gives me no hope.
Racism is a public health issue and impacts people way beyond the brutal assault of the people murdered by police and white supremacists. The young woman who recorded George Floyd's murder is traumatized. Black people are traumatized. Racism is a disease. https://thegrio.com/2020/05/28/teen-recorded-george-floyd-traumatized/amp/?__twitter_impression=true
Our nation refuses to invest in the basic needs of Black communities, leading to preventable reproductive health outcomes. In Flint, MI residents were forced to consume and use lead-tainted water. @Rewire_News wrote about the increase in miscarriages. https://rewire.news/article/2017/11/03/miscarriages-flint-really-believe-water/
By comparing health records of 15 cities in Michigan, researchers found fetal death rates increased by 58% and fertility rates dropped by 12% in Flint. Racism is all around us, not only when police brutality is caught on video. It's a public health issue.
https://econpapers.repec.org/paper/kanwpaper/201703.htm
https://econpapers.repec.org/paper/kanwpaper/201703.htm
Trauma caused by racism infects the body. It is the duty of those of us who are providing care—including ensuring patients have safe pregnancies—to do everything we can to end racism and white supremacy. This is core to providing good healthcare. Our patients lives depend on it.
