Population - Women - Ages 18-44 in Maryland

Maryland

The demographics of a state influence the health needs and outcomes of its population. Understanding the demographic breakdown by age and race/ethnicity can help state health officials determine priorities for health promotion and disease prevention. The proportion of women of reproductive age (ages 18-55) varies across states and impacts women’s health and birth outcomes. 

Women of reproductive age have unique health needs that evolve as they age. Women in the United States have the highest rates of maternal mortality when compared with other high-income countries. The disparities by race/ethnicity are astonishing, with Black women dying at rates 2.5 times higher than white women. U.S. women also have higher rates of chronic conditions and mental health needs than their international counterparts.

Other health concerns impacting women of reproductive age (ages 18-44) include: 

• 41% of women experience intimate partner violence (IPV). IPV is associated with negative mental and physical health outcomes that may affect the cardiac, digestive, reproductive, nervous or other systems in the long term. 
• Mental health conditions such as depression heavily impact women more than men and tend to affect them differently. 
• While sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) can impact anyone, women disproportionately bear the long-term consequences of STDs, such as infertility. 
• Heavy menstrual bleeding, or menorrhagia, happens to one in every five women.

Racial/ethnic minority women face even more severe health disparities. For example, along with the exponentially higher rates of maternal mortality, Black women experience a higher prevalence of several chronic diseases associated with maternal morbidity, including cardiovascular disease, obesity and anemia.

Chinn, Juanita J., Iman K. Martin, and Nicole Redmond. 2021. “Health Equity Among Black Women in the United States.” Journal of Women’s Health 30 (2): 212–19. https://doi.org/10.1089/jwh.2020.8868.