What are the barriers to health care access for rural women?
• A higher rate of uninsured and underinsured populations than in urban areas. • Higher rates of poverty in rural areas than in urban areas, particularly among women. • Access to transportation barriers, such as geographical isolation, lack of public transportation, and lack of funds for individuals to pay for their own mode of transportation. This can disproportionately affect single women with children responsible for transporting their families. • Lack of providers, particularly obstetric providers due to the recruitment and retention problems in rural areas in addition to malpractice suits, which make obstetric care particularly expensive and risky for providers. Question: What challenges do rural women face related to childbirth? Answer: A number of state-based studies have found increased rates in infant mortality among rural residents as compared to urban residents. Studies have also shown that the infant mortality rate increases with rurality. This could be due to a number of r
