UCLA

The purpose of this study was to examine the challenges that Black women collegians face in regard to their reproductive health and their recommendations for how Historically Black Colleges and Universities (“HBCUs”) can support their reproductive health needs. Through a Sister Circle focus group and a survey, this exploratory, transformative, and sequential mixed methods study centered the experiences, perceptions, and perspectives of 19 Black women students in the health sciences as they navigate both the health system and the academy while attempting to preserve and promote their reproductive health. This study found that Black women students have an intersectional experience that impacts their ability to support their reproductive health, with challenges driven primarily by a lack of access to quality healthcare within the health system and on campus. The Black women collegians in this study have a vision of reproductive justice that includes reclaiming their reproductive rights and autonomy, and a comprehensive understanding of the health and environmental factors they and their families need to thrive. To address barriers, I found that Black women students harness an array of community cultural wealth assets, particularly linguistic, navigational and resistance capital. If implemented, their recommendations for institutional support would limit the need to consistently draw upon and deplete these forms of capital. Black woman students prioritized access to transparent information, comprehensive health care including reproductive health services on campus, mental health resources, health insurance, DEI policies, and support around safety and sexual assault as most important to supporting their reproductive health. They also recommended that HBCUs have ideological and tangible supports for pregnant and parenting students. The findings are discussed through the theoretical frameworks of Black Feminist Thought and Critical Race Theory. Implications of the findings and recommendations are discussed for the field of higher education in general and HBCUs in particular.