For over 40 years, Preterm has served as Cleveland's most trusted resource for sexual health services such as birth control options, STD testing and treatment, wellness care and abortion resources. This year, Preterm is joining forces with organizations, activists, and founders
Black Mamas Matter for the inaugural recognition of Black Maternal Health Week (BMHW).
BMHW is a movement striving to increase public awareness of the state of Black maternal health in the United States, the root causes of poor maternal health outcomes, community-driven policy, and care solutions while amplifying the voices of Black mothers, women and families. April is recognized as National Minority Health Month, and April 11-17 is now recognized as Black Maternal Health Week.
Pregnancy and post-birth health risks and complications are varied, but an alarming fact is that "blackness" or "African-American Descent" is
listed as a risk-factor on these complications the same way being a smoker would increase medical risks. However, being Black is not a genetic disorder nor is it a death warrant for pregnant women.
BMHW wants to change how we discuss black maternal health, address the factors of racist policies in the medical industry, and the truth about unequal access to healthcare that
skyrockets the statistics of black women dying from pregnancy-related complications.
Preterm actively addresses the unequal accessibility to healthcare and tries to keep its services affordable and offers financial assistance to patients with limited financial resources. Additionally, Preterm currently offers services geared towards teens and the LGBTQ+ community.
The Preterm Access Fund's 9th Annual Bowl-A-Thon is on April 26. They're currently attempting to raise $55,000 for reproductive freedom. Sign ups for fundraising can be found
here. All fundraising is done in advance and Preterm requests all bowling team members to commit to raising $50 minimum. Tickets for the Bowl-A-Thon are
available here.
