Black midwives are suing Southern states, claiming regulations make it harder to help patients

Black midwives in Alabama, Georgia, and Mississippi are suing states over regulations requiring collaborative practice agreements with physicians, which they argue limit their ability to provide care for low-risk pregnancies. The lawsuits highlight higher maternal mortality rates in Southern states and disparities affecting Black women, who are 2.5 times more likely to die from pregnancy-related complications than the national average.