United Health Care

An increased number of women are receiving prenatal care in the first trimester, according to a Dec 18, 2002, news release from the US Department of Health and Human Services. Study data show that in 2001, 83% of women received timely prenatal care, compared to 76% in 1990.

This increase was true for all racial and ethnic groups but particularly for Hispanic and African American women. The number of Hispanic women who did not receive prenatal care decreased from 4% to 1.6% between 1990 and 2001; the number of African American women who did not receive prenatal care decreased from 4.7% to 2.3% during the same period. Overall, only 1% of women did not receive any prenatal care in 2001.