Latina Women’s Perinatal Experiences and Perspectives Around Discrimination, Anti-immigrant Policies, and Community Violence

Objective

To describe experiences of Latina women who were currently pregnant or recently gave birth around discrimination, anti-immigrant policies, and community violence during the early COVID-19 pandemic.

Design

Qualitative secondary analysis.

Setting

Online or phone interviews.

Participants

Latina women who were currently pregnant or recently gave birth (N = 26).

Methods

We used reflexive thematic analysis to examine transcribed data from semistructured interviews conducted during the early COVID-19 pandemic with a subgroup of participants enrolled in a larger study related to prenatal care. Participants were English- or Spanish-speaking, Medicaid-eligible, Latina-identifying women who resided in Fresno County, California. We analyzed responses to questions about personal discrimination, the Black Lives Matter movement, and immigration policies using the theoretical frameworks of critical race theory and the political economy of health.

Results

We identified four major themes: Avoidance of Community Engagement, Chronic Fear and Vigilance, The Role of Media, and Everyday Discrimination and Injustice.

Conclusion

Participant experiences reflect the pervasiveness of fear and socioeconomic inequity and call attention to the racialized structures that affect health and health care access for Latina women. These exposures during the perinatal period may have intergenerational effects. These findings underscore the need for responsive and race-conscious perinatal nursing care for Latina women, assessment of the effect of the current sociopolitical environment on well-being, and policies that support equitable access to health and social care.