SULPHUR SPRINGS, Fla. — In a Sulphur Springs school cafeteria Tuesday, the community got some food for thought as part of a panel for Black Maternal Health Week.
The topic?
What role do men and partners play in the current epidemic facing Black mothers and babies?
CDC data shows both are dying during and after pregnancy at rates much higher than their white counterparts.
Panelist Michael Morgan works as the manager of community outreach and engagement at REACHUP, Inc. He told ABC Action News that the first place to start is with advocacy and support.
"We can be in that room with that doctor and advocate for her on things that she might be afraid to ask about, so dads are important to being in there, and then we get good outcomes," he said.
But he went on to say that many men and partners are often left out of the conversation when it comes to the trauma of loss during and after pregnancy.
"Most dads are proud when they find out they're having a baby, and then to go through the process of preparing and then to have a loss is a tremendous burden on the dad. And then he's managing the loss of that child, and how does he help console his partner during that process?" he said.
To combat that, he said the community needs more resources tailored specifically to men. The goal is to empower them to be the healthiest versions of themselves—and then the best partners and parents they can be.
Though those resources are often few and far between, he pointed to REACHUP, Inc., as a place people can turn to.
"It is called the 'MIN network. Male Involvement Network.' You do that drop-down [list and] you'll see all the programs and services there. They're all free. You can even scan a QR code and register for anything you want to do, and then [we'll] reach back out to you [and] keep your space safe. And then [we'll] proceed to help you be a '24/7 dad.' Which is all the dad you can be," he said.
For more information on those services, click here.
To learn more about Black Maternal Health Week events happening in the Tampa Bay area, click here.
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