Abstract
RESEARCH QUESTION: What are Black women's experiences when seeking reproductive health care in Iowa? DESIGN: Narrative-style qualitative research. METHODS: Adult Black women in Iowa were recruited for phone interviews. Data was analysed using within and across case methodology. RESULTS: Clinical experiences included suboptimal healthcare, a lack of information, and being treated differently because they were Black. Consequences included not returning to the provider, mistrust of providers and health systems, but also greater self-advocacy. CONCLUSION: The findings from this study are illustrative of the realities that Black women in Iowa faced when seeking reproductive healthcare. IMPLICATIONS FOR THE HEALTH PROFESSIONALS AND PATIENT CARE: Women in this study voiced a need for health professionals to actively listen to people under their care, demonstrate genuine human concern, and adopt person-centred and shared decision-making models for care delivery. Recommended system changes include a need to further diversify the workforce, improve training for the care of persons of colour, and develop better clinical tools that consider different skin and body types. PATIENT AND PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT: Members of the public were involved in the study design and interpretation of findings. Their contributions included providing feedback on research proposal drafts and attending research team meetings to ensure that the research itself did not contribute to racism. Community members with the shared identity of research participants also provided an interpretive lens for the data, crucial for the understanding of white research team members who have not experienced racism.