Analysis of Women's Reproductive Health Care and Prenatal Care in Rural Virginia, A Community Based Research Project

Abstract

Throughout my undergraduate career I have strived to understand the intersection between poverty and health care. As a pre-medical student, I have sought to comprehend what it means to be a physician and how it requires a deeper understanding of the societal structures that impact people's health and contribute to healthcare inequalities. . . . The idea that your socioeconomic status can be predetermined by the health of your mother was mind-blowing to me and emphasized the importance of both structural and environmental impacts of poverty and of women's health. Women's health has always been a passion of mine and a possible specialty for my future career. Throughout my time at Washington and Lee, my poverty courses and community engagement have made clear the bubble that W&L's campus is. Thus, for my Poverty and Human Capabilities Studies Capstone I knew I wanted to engage with the community and specifically focus on an analysis of prenatal care in Rockbridge and surrounding rural counties. This paper delves into the importance of addressing disparities in prenatal care for women of low-income, an analysis of the health status of Rockbridge and surrounding rural counties specifically regarding women's health and prenatal care, and finally my recommendations for improvements. [From Introduction]