One in five women experienced mistreatment while receiving medical care for their most recent pregnancy, according to a survey released Tuesday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The women reported signs of mistreatment, such as being verbally abused, having their requests for help go unanswered, having their physical privacy infringed upon and receiving threats to withhold treatment.

“As a doctor, mother, and Black woman, it is disheartening to hear how common mistreatment is and to see differences in mistreatment and discrimination during maternity care based on things like race and insurance coverage,” CDC Division of Reproductive Health Director Wanda Barfield said.

To combat these findings, the CDC recommends health care systems hire diverse workforces and more effectively communicate with patients.

Barfield said during a media briefing that the report was unable to conclude if the findings are directly related to maternal mortality rates.

In 2021, about 1,200 women died from maternal-related causes, a 40% spike from the previous year and one of the worst rates of maternal mortality in the country’s history.

Saved 59% of original text.