Women from minority ethnic backgrounds in the UK are less likely to receive adequate pain relief during childbirth, according to a Guardian investigation that highlights an "ethnicity pain gap" in how pain experienced by people of colour is minimised and left untreated.
Women recount traumatic experiences
Julie Hammond, a 35-year-old mother of three from Kent, describes the birth of her second child as "excruciating." Following a difficult vaginal birth for her first child, Hammond opted for an elective caesarean but complications led to an emergency caesarean at 35 weeks. She received a spinal block but could still move her legs. "I mentioned this to my anaesthetist at the time, who told me not to worry, and just to relax," Hammond says. "I definitely felt like I was being dismissed." No changes were made to her anaesthetic, and Hammond felt every incision. "I could feel someone cutting through each layer of my skin, fat, and muscle," she recalls.
Evidence of systemic bias
A 2016 study found that a substantial number of medical students and residents held false beliefs about biological differences between black and white people, such as "Black people's skin is thicker" or "nerve endings are less sensitive." These beliefs predicted racial bias in pain perception and treatment. A 2023 study showed that even standardised postpartum pain management plans did not eliminate ethnic disparities.
Adewole Adamson, associate professor at Dell Medical School at the University of Texas, said: "There has been progress in awareness which is commendable. However, the recent research points to the fact that the gap still persists and is slow to close."
Further cases of dismissed pain
Gabriella Sarpong, a 39-year-old public health professional from Ilford, had an epidural fail during her 16-hour induced labour in 2023. The anaesthetist asked her if it was in the right place, leaving her confused. "I was expressing that the epidural was not working but I wasn't being taken seriously," Sarpong says. She was left in pain for 10 hours overnight, later diagnosed with PTSD. "I felt ignored and it was honestly the worst thing I've ever experienced," she adds.
Chinasa Ezugha, 35, an arts professor from London, gave birth in 2025 and was denied an epidural despite requesting it. The midwife told her, "You don't need it, you're doing well without it." Ezugha says, "It was so condescending; I was in so much agony. I felt humiliated." She also felt the midwife was standoffish and did not provide comfort. "I was already aware of the extra risks black women face during childbirth," Ezugha says. "It's really important for black mothers to be heard, to be respected, and to be treated with dignity."
Call for better data collection
Fiona Gibb, director of midwifery at the Royal College of Midwives, said: "Any suggestion that women's pain is not taken seriously, or that access to appropriate pain relief differs by ethnicity, is completely unacceptable. More consistent data collection is essential. Without robust data on pain relief, interventions and outcomes broken down by ethnicity, it is harder to identify where inequalities exist and to hold systems to account for addressing them."
