Frequently Asked Questions

A Maternal Health Bill of Rights is a document that outlines the rights of pregnant individuals or birthing persons regarding their healthcare during pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum. It's important because it makes sure that those giving birth get treated fairly, respectfully, and with good-quality care. This means they have control over their own decisions, are treated with dignity, and their health and happiness are looked after throughout the whole process of having a baby.

Specific rights usually included are the right to get complete care before, during, and after pregnancy, the right to know about your treatment options and to say no if you don't want something, the right to keep your personal information private, the right to choose your healthcare provider and where you want to give birth, and the right to be treated with respect and in a way that understands your culture

A Maternal Health Bill of Rights makes sure that birthing persons know what choices they have, have a say in the decisions being made, and are treated with respect. It supports birthing persons to make their own choices about their own bodies and protects them from being treated unfairly or forced into medical procedures they don't need.

Harris County Public Health (HCPH) did a study using eight focus groups to learn about maternal and family planning rights. These groups had different people with different viewpoints and knowledge about these rights. The focus groups were divided into two main categories: community members and maternal health experts/organizations. Community members included pregnant individuals, new parents, and caregivers recruited from various sources like health programs, outreach events, and social media. Maternal health experts and organizations included advocacy groups, healthcare providers, and social workers recruited from existing partner lists.

Please visit the Contact Us page and fill out the interest form at the bottom!