Gendered Racism May Shape Pregnancy-Related Stress Before Conception

A NEW study has found that experiences of gendered racism may contribute to pregnancy-related stress long before pregnancy occurs, particularly among Black, Latina, and Multiracial women in the United States. The findings suggest that discrimination experienced across the life course may influence expectations about pregnancy and could contribute to longstanding racial disparities in maternal and reproductive health outcomes.

Greater Anticipation of Pregnancy-Related Discrimination

Researchers surveyed 872 non-pregnant, nulliparous women (individuals who had never given birth) from across the United States who identified as Black, Latina, Multiracial (including Black and/or Latina), Indigenous, and/or White. The study examined experiences of gendered racism, anticipated pregnancy-specific gendered racism, anticipated pregnancy-specific stress, everyday discrimination, birth control-related mistrust, feelings about pregnancy, and desire to have children.

The results showed that Black, Latina, and Multiracial women reported significantly greater experiences of gendered racism and anticipated more pregnancy-specific gendered racism than White women. These participants also expressed a lower desire to have children compared with White women included in the study.

Further analyses demonstrated that experiences of gendered racism were associated with higher levels of anticipated pregnancy-specific stress. This relationship was mediated by expectations of experiencing gendered racism during a future pregnancy, suggesting that prior experiences of discrimination shape concerns about how women expect to be treated if they become pregnant.

Implications for Reproductive Health Equity

Among Black, Latina, and Multiracial participants, birth control-related mistrust was also linked to greater anticipated pregnancy-specific stress through increased expectations of pregnancy-specific gendered racism. Rehbein et al note that this mistrust may reflect the lasting effects of historical and contemporary reproductive injustices experienced by women of colour.

Using a life course perspective, the researchers argue that discrimination may begin influencing reproductive health well before pregnancy, potentially increasing stress during pregnancy and contributing to adverse birth outcomes. The findings underscore the importance of addressing structural inequities and gendered racism throughout women’s lives rather than focusing solely on the prenatal period.

The researchers conclude that interventions aimed at reducing reproductive health disparities should consider the cumulative impact of gendered racism before pregnancy, alongside efforts to improve equitable and respectful reproductive healthcare.

Reference

Rehbein E et al. Gendered Racism and Anticipated Pregnancy-Specific Stress Among Non-Pregnant Nulliparous Black, Latina, and Multiracial Women. Nature. 2026;92(27).

Featured image: Andrey Popov