this is "nightline." >> tonight -- >> i witnessed her take her last breath in front of me. >> deadly delivery reserve inside an american epidemic. new mothers dying at an alarming rate. inside the race from the hospital to the home. the team searching for answers and saving lives. and the famous faces sounding the alarm. plus the bachelor tests new waters with its first virgin star. >> i have not dated a virgin since i was 12. fore inf the ntered show world. but first the "nightline 5."

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good evening. thank you for joining us. the united states is the most dangerous place to give birth in the developed world. last month the house passed a bill aimed at reversing these t abc's chief medical correspondent dr. jennifer ashton is with the men and women

on the front lines of this epidemic as they look for answers. >> reporter: it should be one of the most joyous moments in life, the birth of a new baby. but for far too many women in the united states, especially women of color and their families, it's not joy they're experiencing, but heartache, complications, and even death. >> when i checked, you know, they're like, okay, go back home, everything is fine. >> reporter: women like fantasia graham. >> and i knew deep down in my heart, everything was not fine. because my body was just giving up. i was at my grandma's house. and, you know, getting ready for school. i just saw like blood. she was like, go to the hospital like now. when i got there, they did all tra sound and they told me that

they didn't hear a heartbeat. >> the nurse pretty much told her, i'm sorry, your baby has passed away. >> i felt depressed. i felt sad. i felt hopeless. >> reporter: fantasia is one of several women whose experience is featured in this month's "national geographic" shining a light on the risks of giving birth in the united states. >> who in particular is being affected the most? >> if you're an african-american mother, your risks of dying in childbirth are three to four times higher than if you're white. african-american women are less believed when they express that they have concerns about their symptoms, particularly around pain. >> reporter: despite our advances in medicine, childbirth remains an area fraught with potential danger to mother and baby. even when you can have the best care in the world. >> she's perfect! >> reporter: for tennis pro serena williams, complications during childbirth almost proved fatal. her experience highlighted in the hbo docuseries "being

serena." >> i told the nurse, i can't breathe, i need a mask. and then my stitches broke. and -- it was just really hard. >> reporter: williams illuminating a stark reality, obstetric complications do not discriminate based on fame or fortune. a stark reality mustafa knows all too well. a first-time father to 4-month-old musin. he beams with pride as he shows off the nursery he and his partner designed. >> everything was tynesha's idea. the name on the wall, his crib, everything. >> reporter: now all of this just reminders of the life they could have shared. >> he's going to miss out on having a great mother. that's what hurts so bad about this situation. >> reporter: his partner,

36-year-old tynesha, died during labor. >> a caring, loving person. >> reporter: her pregnancy was going well. she was not high risk and had been regularly going to prenatal visits. during labor she began having trouble breathing. she went into cardiac arrest. doctors performed a bedside emergency c-section to try to save her and the baby. but for tynesha, it was too late. >> she came out and told me, i'm sorry, she didn't make it. i broke down. i witnessed her take her last breath in front of me. >> reporter: she died of an amniotic fluid embolism, an often fatal complication that occurs in 1 out of every 10,000 pregnancies. we don't know why it happens or how to prevent it. among developed countries the united states has the highest rate of maternal death. every year there are an estimated 60,000striapnsndproxir during or soon after pregnancy.

an estimated 60% of those deaths are considered preventible. >> united states of america, 2018, 75% of the nation's land mass, you might not have access to anybody qualified to deliver your baby. maternal mortality in this country has been going up for 20 years. we haven't had the kind of response that you'd expect for something that significant. >> reporter: so obstetricians like dr. shaw have made it their mission to find solutions to the cracks in the foundation of care inside the hospital so they can be applied on a national level. last spring we spent over 24 hours with him and his team in labor and delivery at beth israel medical center to see how they do things differently. it starts with communication. a moment like this, called the huddle. >> she's currently 5 to 6, 80, and minus 2 -- >> reporter: all the doctors and nurses meet to discuss every patient on the labor floor so everyone is accountable for everyone's care. >> it's been shown across the country, to make a really big difference in patient safety.

>> allergies to medication? >> reporter: down the hall, wendy and husband john have just arrived. in labor with her first baby, wendy has decided to try to go without an epidural. >> deep breaths, deep breaths. >> reporter: something only 10% of women choose. and she's given the time to explore this option. time, another tenet of dr. shah's approach to fixing the system. >> keep doing what you're doing, deep breaths. >> reporter: it's about knowing when to wait and when to act swiftly. >> i think my water just broke. >> oh, good. >> reporter: eventually her contractions become more painful. >> it's not a cop-out to get an epidural. if that's what you want to do, we're 100% behind you in supporting you to do that. >> okay, epidural. >> she gave the order. >> reporter: four hours later -- >> big push. >> there she goes! more, more, more, more, that's it, that's it, that's it, hi, little one! >> oh my gosh. >> reporter: but in that moment of joy --

>> would you like to cut the cord? >> reporter: wendy is unaware she has started to lose a lot of blood. >> you have a higher than average amount of bleeding right now. we have a resident? >> reporter: for dr. shah, now is the time to act swiftly. >> there's two places where you can have a little bit of extra bleeding. one is from the tear, one is from the uterus. we gave you medicine to help the uterus, we're going to repair the tear now. >> reporter: she's lost a liter in blood as a minutes, which qualifies as a postpartum hemmorage. >> there's something pumping that i think is probably vaginal. i think we're okay. >> thank you so much. one big family. >> fist bumps all around. >> thank you very much, thank you. >> reporter: while dr. shah is working on hospital protocol, briana green is working at the community level to help the most at-risk demographic, african-american women, to have better outcomes in childbirth. >> i'm a peri natal community health working. >> reporter: briana, mother of

two, decided to take action after having a c-section when she had hoped for a natural delivery. >> not even a year later i happened to hear about mama soso village and i said, i want that type of training. >> we provide comprehensive support for women prenatally through postpartum. >> so what about the baby? baby's looking good? >> this is the most active child i have ever had. >> the women that we serve not only are they presenting with clinical issues, so physical health issues, they're also presenting with social issues. which puts them at a higher risk for mortality. >> reporter: briana recognizes that the odds are stacked against women of color in general when dealing with maternal mortality. >> the statistics don't lie. we can look at different factors. poverty, homelessness, food insecurity, things of that nature. but upper middle class black women have the same outcomes as

black women who are in poverty. a mom will say, i'm concerned about this issue, and their concerns are dismissed or diminished. >> reporter: but today with briana as her midwife to make sure all her needs are met,ful. >> it's worth me going out every day and trying to make a difference with even one mom. or in my case, 50 some odd moms a year. >> reporter: skilled midwives, better hospital protocols, all pieces of the puzzle being put together by health care professionals across the country who are dedicated to the women delivering these miracles every day. what keeps you up at night when you think about the maternal mortality crisis? >> it's entirely preventible. you look at the last half century of health care in the united states. we've had tragedies and we've had triumphs. but i think that this is a situation where we can right the ship and do a lot better. >> reporter: for "nightline," i'm dr. jennifer ashton.

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the newest season of "the bachelor" has a leading man with something no other bachelor before him had. and he's showing us all what finding love is like as a 26-year-old vir jip. here's abc's abbie boudreau. >> let's have some fun.

>> yes! >> yes! >> take your shirt off! >> reporter: lavish pool parties. romantic evenings. >> i want to hold your hand, colton. >> reporter: a whole lot of drama. >> it just happened. >> i don't feel good about it. >> that makes me feel sick. >> reporter: all in the name of finding true love. >> i'm very hopeful that standing in this room tonight is my wife. >> reporter: it's "the bachelor" season again, but this year the leading man has something special going for him. 26-year-old colton underwood is a virgin. >> i am the first virgin bachelor, and it's crazy to even think about that. >> the guy's a stud. you know, he looks like this guy that would never have trouble getting women, and he never really has. he's had girlfriends. >> my name's colton. >> reporter: colton underwood made it to the final four of becca's season of "the bachelorette" where he first went public about his virginity. >> i am a virgin.

>> really? >> yeah. >> reporter: he later competed on "bachelor in paradise." >> i wanted us to work so bad. it's just not -- it's not there. >> reporter: now he's back and the center of attention, hoping to find love. >> this guy is a sexual person. he definitely talks and acts around women and towards women as -- you know, that he is definitely into it. >> reporter: "bachelor" host and producer chris harrison says the former nfl player's virginity is front and center in season 23. >> is this part of the reason why you guys cast him? >> oh, yeah. definitely a storyline that we felt was intriguing. because especially of who he is. one thing about "the bachelor," say what you will about it, i feel like we've done a good job of kind of pushing social issues and bringing up these conversations and debates. >> everyone knows you're a virgin. >> yeah. >> so i want to know why? >> for me, growing up it was

sort of a conscious decision. >> okay. >> at first. and then i started really diving deep into my professional career. and my personal life took a back seat. >> okay. >> and now that it's happening, i'm not going to just randomly lose on it a one-night stand. >> yeah. >> reporter: it's not all serious. >> now that i've popped your cherry, we don't need to talk about virginity anymore. >> hi. >> reporter: one woman making her first impression dressed like a sloth. >> i should be going for a slow hug? >> can i take that? >> yes. >> i don't know what card you were thinking, but i think i just took your "v" card. >> you got it. >> did you feel there would have been a double standard, like the pop the cherry balloon? >> of course double standards exist. by the way, would i be so crazy as to say, rightfully so? men should not treat a woman like that. >> but it's okay for a woman to

treat a man like that? >> i do. >> you do? >> do you think he's hurt by it? >> i don't know, is he? >> no, he's not. >> reporter: sexuality educator and relationship expert logan lofkoff thinks there's a double standard when it comes to virginity. >> there's n attached to being adult virgin. either we fetishize and sexualize it in the case of adult women virgins, and the butt of a joke if you're an adult male. >> reporter: behind the scenes with colton during group dates at camp bachelor. >> i really want to seeow get competitive and compete against each other. >> do you think he's cute? >> of course, so handsome. he's a sweetheart, a big teddy bear. >> we shared a kiss. >> do you think because he's a virgin it's making them even more crazy and want him and want to be the first with him? >> i hate to cheapen this and make it sound superficial, but almost as if there was a trophy to be had with this virginity thing. >> reporter: colton is just the latest in a long line of high-profile men and women showcasing their virginity.

♪ jessica simpson is known for hits like "irresistible" and "with you." ♪ with you i can let my hair down ♪ >> reporter: she shot to stardom with her good girl image. publicly professing that she would remain a virgin until marriage. now more than d ter,her virgin headlines. in an interview with "usa today" last month, natalie portman said, i remember being a teenager and there was jessica simpson on the cover of a magazine saying, i'm a virgin, while wearing a bikini. and i was confused. simpson defended herself tweeting, i have always embraced being a role model to all women to let them know that they can look however they want, wear whatever they want, and have or not have sex with whomever they want. portman has since apologized. >> it is important that natalie portman apologized for the comment she made, because even if someone is a virgin, they have the right to express their

body and their sexuality and their gender in any way they see fit. >> reporter: other celebrities like adriana lima, carrie underwood, and julianne hough have talked about saving themselves for marriage. newly engaged nfl quarterback tim tebow has vowed to stay a virgin until he ties the knot. >> i think there have always been adult virgins out there, we just haven't either talked about them or we haven't had adult male virgins in particular be so public about their sexual choices. >> this week has been a little more emotional than what i thought it was going to be. >> reporter: while we still don't know if colton gets his happily ever after -- >> you think you're going to find love? >> i'm very hopeful that by the end of this i will find love, yes. >> reporter: we are left with one big question. will he? or won't he? for "nightline," i'm abbie boudreau in los angeles. when we come back,

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finally tonight, honoring martin luther king jr. he would have been 90 this year. but the slain civil rights leader will never grow old. he was 39 when he was assassinated. the night before in 1968 in memphis, his final sermon, prophetic, stirring those who believed in the dream to fight on. >> and i've looked over, and i've seen the promised land. i may not get there with you. but i want you to know tonight that we as a people will get to the promised land! i'm happy tonight, not worried about anything, i'm not feeling anything. mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the lord. >> people around the world have their favorite dr. king quote. what's yours? one of mine is, "the time is always right to do what is

right." may we all strive not just to say his words but to live them. that's "nightline." thanks for the company, america. good night.

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