Women’s health in the U.S. is in a “perilous place,” with preventable deaths rising, especially in Mississippi, according to The Commonwealth Fund’s scorecard on women’s health. The scorecard ranks all 50 states and Washington, D.C., on reproductive and overall health care for women, highlighting Massachusetts, Vermont, and Rhode Island as top performers.
Mississippi ranked last due to its high maternal mortality rate, cervical and breast cancer death rates, and a complete abortion ban after the 2022 closure of Jackson Women’s Health Organization. The Mississippi Delta region has the highest maternal mortality rate in the U.S., with many counties lacking obstetric care. Mississippi’s maternal mortality rate was 44.6 deaths per 100,000 live births between 2020 and 2022, compared to the national average of 26.3.
In 2022, Mississippi’s death rate from breast and cervical cancer was 27.3 per 100,000 women, significantly higher than the national average. Low screening rates contribute to this, with fewer women receiving regular mammograms and Pap smears.
Additionally, 14% of women in Mississippi lack health insurance, higher than the national average. The state also faces a severe shortage of maternity care providers, with only 60.4 providers per 100,000 women aged 15 to 44.
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