In 2018, Ibis Reproductive Health and SisterSong Women of Color Reproductive Justice Collective launched a community-based participatory research (CBPR) study focused on understanding the sexual and reproductive health (SRH) experiences of Black women in the southern United States, where restrictions on abortion care, poor maternal health, and abstinence-only sex education programs, impact quality of care, feelings of autonomy, access, and sexual and reproductive health knowledge among Black women. The study centered the work of SisterSong’s Trust Black Women Partnership, which aims to eradicate stereotypes and uplift the voices of Black women.
We believe in the power of storytelling and that data collected for Black women by Black women enhances the authenticity of the findings.
The Trust Black Women study was led entirely by Black women: two researchers, a Black-led reproductive justice organization, a research board comprised of Black community leaders, and Trust Black Women partner organizations. We implemented activities aligned with the CBPR approach such as developing principles of engagement for both organizations, jointly creating a research protocol and data collection instruments, identifying and inviting Black women from the community to participate in a Research Board, and working with community organizations to collect qualitative data.
From a series of focus group discussions and in-depth interviews, several themes emerged under seven broad categories: sexual education; body lessons; sexual and reproductive health utilization; pregnancy experience; maternal health; reproductive health concerns; and the Black family. Our findings have been shared in academic and non-academic mediums and have called into focus gaps in resources and policy efforts aimed at improving reproductive health outcomes and shift narratives that both perpetuates stigma and harms within Black communities.