African Immigrant Women's Experiences of Maternity Care in the United States.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to explore maternity care experiences of African immigrant women during the perinatal period including factors affecting access to and use of care.

Methods: We used Sandelowski's (2010) qualitative descriptive approach to examine how African immigrant women from various countries of origin and with diverse ethnic backgrounds experienced and navigated the maternity care system in the United States during pregnancy and childbirth. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 15 African immigrant women living in the Columbus, Ohio area.