Women’s health is a complex issue because women face health issues that are unique to their sex. Women give birth and are often the parent that is primarily responsible for raising their children. As primary caregivers, their mental and physical health are extremely important in influencing the health of the next generation. In Detroit, the status of women’s health care access is concerning to examine, largely due to Detroit's problems more broadly. As a majority African-American city, Detroit is one of the most racially segregated cities in America. Although a social construct, race is a fundamental determinant of health in Detroit. In Detroit particularly, race tends to go hand in hand with socioeconomic status and geographic location, two factors which have profound impacts on health. 

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We are interested in examining women’s health in Detroit and the roles that race, class, and gender play in this issue. Of particular interest is how discrimination and segregation impact female-specific health outcomes, like pregnancy, as well as women’s mental and physical health. Through examining data, maps, and other visuals, we will be able to examine how women’s health issues in Detroit are unique to this city.

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We also consider public health more broadly, as health access that impacts the general population impacts women as well. It is necessary to examine statistics that include men or that exclude women because women have largely been left out of historical research on health, and thus there is a lack of research solely on women or that includes women at all. We have to examine the data that is available, and then consider how certain factors may impact women differently than men. Even if certain statistics can only give information about the larger picture, as opposed to focusing on women, they allow us to make connections about how race and class impact the population at large, which of course includes women.