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Still Reeling From 6-Year-Old Trauma, Serena Williams’ Husband Alexis Ohanian Finds Discerning American Stat on Maternal Health as Warning Bells Issued

Published 07/31/2023, 6:40 AM EDT

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Alexis Ohanian has always kept his priorities straight. From the time Serena Williams and he welcomed Olympia into their lives, Ohanian prioritized his family over anything else. This has led him to vouch for ‘parental leave’ where fathers play an equal and important role in raising their kids. However, that has not been possible for every family in the US. To raise people’s awareness regarding this pressing issue, he has brought his followers’ attention to a concerning stat.

The Reddit co-founder is a strong proponent of equal parenting, where fathers play their roles as a nurturing presence equally. However, the current scenario is showing the dire state of mothers in the US.

Alexis Ohanian on the rising pressure on working women because of motherhood

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Ohanian recently took to Twitter to retweet a post stating some worrisome maternal stats. It showed the state of mothers in 40 states and the District of Columbia in the US. A report by the nonprofit Policy Center for Maternal Mental Health in partnership with George Washington University shows the concerning stats on the mental health of mothers across the US.

The retweeted stats by Ohanian showed that, except for 10 states, others received either a D or F grade on various parameters. These parameters range across maternal mental health risk policies and access to care.

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The detailed report breaks down the reasons behind the lack of maternal mental health care. It ranges from the absence of the right to abortion to the lack of specialized care for pregnant and postpartum women. It also reported that 4 million babies are born every year in the US, and roughly 600,000 (20%) mothers experience challenges with their mental health.

Before highlighting the discerning stats of mothers in the US, Ohanian also focused on the dire state of black pregnant women.

After being a first-hand witness to the postpartum struggles of Serena Williams, Ohanian gets real 

The concerning stats hit home because of the near-death experience that his wife, Serena Williams, had to go through during her first childbirth. Both during and after giving birth to Olympia, Williams suffered from a lot of health issues.

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A report by the National Center for Health Statistics showed the US has the highest maternal mortality rate among high-income countries in 2018. Ohanian shared the news with a message depicting how it is even worse for black women.

Williams herself was deemed to be “talking crazy” when she insisted she had been facing breathing issues after her childbirth. Later on, her insistence led her to be diagnosed with pulmonary embolism. Eventually, she had to undergo another surgery.

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Holding systemic social structure accountable, Ohanian brought attention to the concerning state of black mothers. This has undoubtedly created a stir among his fans. However, it has also created a vital discourse about the need to safeguard pregnant women in the US.

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Written by:

Shivali Sharma

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Shivali Sharma is a tennis writer at EssentiallySports, who specializes in off-court topics and has a particular focus on the legendary ‘Queen of the Court’, Serena Williams. With a wealth of experience in the industry, Shivali has authored numerous articles covering varied topics concerning the 23-time Grand Slam champion, including her personal life, career, and more. In addition to her work on Serena Williams, Shivali is also a huge fan of Naomi Osaka and admires the four-time Major winner, particularly for her advocacy for mental health.
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Edited by:

Tony Thomas