Organizations serving low-income women need more resources to do better outreach. Health care providers in the San Francisco Bay Area appear most informed about public policies affecting women's health care coverage compared to Fresno and San Diego. Yoo and Park heard examples of the dire health implications that arise from the fear many immigrants still feel. Some health care providers talked about patients entering the emergency room for delivery without prenatal care. A health care provider in Fresno said a number of patients who had limbs amputated due to untreated gestational diabetes had been afraid to come to the hospital.
SFSU study shows low-income pregnant women afraid to seek medical care.
To dispel the fears and to encourage low-income immigrant women to seek health care, Yoo and Park recommend stronger outreach efforts to disseminate information. The researchers said that not only should service providers be a part of outreach efforts but the media and the public schools should also be involved.