Women are experts about their own lives and usually are responsible for the health care of the entire family. They must be knowledgeable about their bodies, and their input must be sought by health care providers when planning care. Safe Motherhood implies the availability, acceptability and easy access to quality health care for a woman's prenatal, birth, postpartum, family planning and gynecological needs. In order to benefit from services provided by the health care system, women must be able to access such services. Many women have difficulty obtaining care because of barriers such as lack of money or insurance, lack of transportation, and facilities that are overburdened, leading to long waits in order to receive care.
Additional barriers exist.
Cities and rural areas in this country lack enough health care providers. Lack of cultural and linguistic competence in health services is a barrier for Hispanic and other ethnic and immigrant communities. Lack of child care and service hours are additional barriers to receiving care. Specialized services such as smoking cessation programs, mental health counseling, and alcohol and drug treatment programs may not be available. Insurance coverage varies by race and ethnicity, with Hispanic women 2.5 times and African-American women 1.8 times more likely to be uninsured than whites.