Pain relief after the birth is also not given equally
The same gap that exists in the operating room continues on the ward.
The disparities in how pain is believed do not stop when the operation ends. In the cohort of 9,900 women, Black and Hispanic women reported more severe pain in the days after birth and received measurably fewer morphine equivalents per day, and were less likely to leave the hospital with a prescription. In 1,701 women after cesarean, severe pain of 7 or more out of 10 was reported by 28% of Black women, 22% of Hispanic women, 20% of white women and 15% of Asian women, while white women had more documented pain assessments.
The authors of the first study stated their conclusion plainly: these are disparities in pain management that cannot be explained by less perceived pain.