"In America, women are more likely to die during childbirth than in any other developed country - and these odds only continue to grow. A third of American women describe their births as "traumatic." Even Serena Williams, among the most successful and economically powerful Black women of our time, nearly died when her doctors ignored her medical concerns post-partum. What accounts for the dismal state of reproductive care in this country, and why arent we talking about it? In Birth Control, award-winning journalist and author Allison Yarrow points to an answer thats as unsurprising as it is underdiscussed: sexism. Drawing on extensive research and interviews with experts and mothers, she shows us how the misogyny that shapes so much of womens lives is rampant during pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum recovery. The transition to motherhood is controlled and shaped by sexism and power dynamics, she argues, just like the government or the workplace-yet most of us dont see it in those terms. Yarrows investigation examines the deeper history, beginning with the men who created obstetrics and effectively wrested control of birth from female midwives. She also pays close attention to the deep-seated role of racism in shaping these issues, explaining some of the reasons why Black women in America are four times more likely than white women to die in childbirth.

She then reports on a path forward, telling the stories of inspiring programs, groundbreaking research, and new technologies that are being implemented today to-finally-support new mothers. Yarrows eye-opening reporting on modern pregnancy and childbirth builds into a passionate argument for reshaping the medical field toward the equity we all need. Full of investigative drive and heartfelt emotion, Birth Control is a revelatory call-to-action for women of all backgrounds"--.