Accessible and proactive maternal healthcare for all women

Maternal Equity Promise

The SDxLabs Maternal Equity Promise (MEP) is our commitment to expand access to noninvasive prenatal screening (NIPS) services for all patients. The ability to make informed health decisions is a fundamental right that should not be restricted by financial or structural determinants. As NIPS continues to grow as an established standard of care, disparities in maternal healthcare become more apparent. By identifying and combating barriers to proactive healthcare services, we can help build a more equitable future.

Discover NIPS
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Racial and Ethnic Health Advocacy

  • The maternal mortality rate for non-Hispanic Black mothers is 2.9 times higher than non-Hispanic White mothers.1

    In the United States, maternal health disparities are especially prevalent among Non-Hispanic Black mothers, including high maternal and fetal mortality rates, post-pregnancy complications, and delayed prenatal care1-3. Understanding the causes of these disparities and how they impact a patient’s access to care enables tailored healthcare services that support social needs4. As a part of our Maternal Equity Promise, we engage in outreach opportunities with community organizations to reach expectant mothers experiencing health inequities and provide accessible and quality maternal care.

    Is your organization interested in learning more about the SDxLabs Maternal Equity Promise?

Affordable Care

  • 11% of women aged 19-64 are uninsured in the United States.5-6

    We know every patient’s financial situation is unique, and it can be difficult to navigate the costs associated with comprehensive prenatal care. While guidelines from professional medical organizations recommend the use of NIPS for detecting fetal chromosomal abnormalities for all pregnancies—regardless of age or risk7-8—affordability remains a barrier for uninsured and underinsured patients. Additionally, varying coverage of NIPS between public and private insurance providers often influences a patient’s decision to receive these services9. At SDxLabs, we provide transparent billing and financial assistance options to ensure cost does not stand in the way of receiving NIPS.

    Learn more about our promise to make NIPS affordable for all patients. 

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Education and Support

  • 15% - 44% of pregnant women globally have limited knowledge of maternal health.10-14

    During pregnancy, a patient has many options for how to screen and monitor her pregnancy and these decisions can have a big impact on the health of both the mother and baby. Without a comfortable understanding of these testing options and their implications, expectant mothers may experience anxiety or uncertainty about prenatal services like NIPS, especially regarding screening results15. We believe all patients should be equipped with the educational resources needed to become familiar with prenatal services and make informed health decisions. By speaking with our genetic counselors, patients can learn more about NIPS in a personable and informative setting with the opportunity to ask questions and decide if the screening is right for them.

References

  1. Hoyert, D. L. (2022). Maternal mortality rates in the United States, 2020. NCHS Health E-Stats. https://dx.doi.org/10.15620/cdc:113967.
  2. Gadson, A., MD, Akpovi, E., BS, & Mehta, Pooja K., MD, MSHP. (2017). Exploring the social determinants of racial/ethnic disparities in prenatal care utilization and maternal outcome. Seminars in Perinatology, 41(5), 308-317. https://doi.org/10.1053/j.semperi.2017.04.008
  3. Dailey, R. K., Peoples, A., Zhang, L., Dove‐Medows, E., Price, M., Misra, D. P., & Giurgescu, C. (2022). Assessing perception of prenatal care quality among black women in the united states. Journal of Midwifery & Women's Health, 67(2), 235-243. https://doi.org/10.1111/jmwh.13319
  4. Crear-Perry, J., Correa-De-Araujo, R., Lewis Johnson, T., Mclemore, M. R., Neilson, E., & Wallace, M. (2021). Social and structural determinants of health inequities in maternal health. Journal of Women's Health (Larchmont, N.Y. 2002), 30(2), 23-235. https://doi.org/10.1089/jwh.2020.8882
  5. Brigance, C., Lucas R., Jones, E., Davis, A., Oinuma, M., Mishkin, K. and Henderson, Z. (2022). Nowhere to Go: Maternity Care Deserts Across the U.S. (Report No. 3). March of Dimes. https://www. marchofdimes.org/research/maternity-care-deserts-report.aspx
  6. Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF). Women’s Health Insurance Coverage (2021). Retrieved from https://www.kff.org/womens-health-policy/fact-sheet/womens-health-insurance-coverage/
  7. Rose, N. C., Kaimal, A. J., Dugoff, L., Norton, M. E., American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists’ Committee on Practice Bulletins—Obstetrics, Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine, & Committee on Genetics. (2020). Screening for fetal chromosomal abnormalities: ACOG practice bulletin, number 226. Obstetrics and Gynecology (New York. 1953), 136(4), e48-e69. https://doi.org/10.1097/AOG.0000000000004084
  8. Chen, Y., Lu, L., Zhang, Y., Wang, F., Ni, Y., Wang, Q., & Ying, C. (2022). Clinical application of expanded noninvasive prenatal testing for fetal chromosome abnormalities in a cohort of 39,580 pregnancies. American Journal of Medical Genetics. Part A, 188(5), 1426-1434. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajmg.a.62657
  9. Benoy, M. E., Iruretagoyena, J. I., Birkeland, L. E., & Petty, E. M. (2021). The impact of insurance on equitable access to non-invasive prenatal screening (NIPT): Private insurance may not pay. Journal of Community Genetics, 12(1), 185-197. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12687-020-00498-w
  10. Guler, D. S., Sahin, S., Ozdemir, K., Unsal, A., & Uslu Yuvacı, H. (2021). Health literacy and knowledge of antenatal care among pregnant women. Health & Social Care in the Community, 29(6), 1815-1823. https://doi.org/10.1111/hsc.13291
  11. Crozier, S. R., Robinson, S. M., Borland, S. E., Godfrey, K. M., Cooper, C., & Inskip, H. M. (2009). Do women change their health behaviours in pregnancy? Findings from the Southampton Women's Survey. Paediatric and Perinatal Epidemiology, 23(5), 446–453. https://doi. org/10.1111/j.1365-3016.2009.01036.x
  12. Ghanbari, S., Majlessi, F., Ghaffari, M., & Mahmoodi Majdabadi, M. (2012). Evaluation of health literacy of pregnant women in urban health centers of Shahid Beheshti Medical University. Daneshvar Medicine: Basic and Clinical Research Journal, 19, 1–12. http://www. who.int/pmnch/media/publications/aonsectionIII_2.pdf
  13. Olander, E. K., Smith, D. M., & Darwin, Z. (2018). Health behaviour and pregnancy: A time for change. Journal of Reproductive and Infant Psychology, 36, 1–3. https://doi.org/10.1080/02646 838.2018.1408965
  14. Shieh, C., Mays, R., McDaniel, A., & Yu, J. (2009). Health literacy and its association with the use of information sources and with barriers to information seeking in clinic-based pregnant women. Health Care for Women International, 30, 971–988. https://doi.org/10.1080/07399 330903052152
  15. Nawabi, F., Krebs, F., Vennedey, V., Shukri, A., Lorenz, L., & Stock, S. (2021). Health literacy in pregnant women: A systematic review. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(7), 3847. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18073847

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