The States Where It’s Riskier to Have a Baby

Quantitative and qualitative evidence suggests that the delays created by abortion restrictions are having an effect on health care. A recent report from the Gender Equity Policy Institute, a nonprofit that advocates for women’s equality, found that, although the overall risk of dying from pregnancy is low, mothers living in states where abortion is banned … Read more

Tennessee demands abortion data from hospitals in ban exceptions case

The subpoenas were issued as part of a 2023 lawsuit brought by several Tennessee women and doctors who are seeking to broaden the exceptions in the state’s abortion ban. Although Tennessee – like every other state with an abortion ban – technically permits abortions in medical emergencies, these women say they were denied medically necessary … Read more

Republicans wanted fewer abortions and more births. They are getting the opposite – Opinion

Dobbs v Jackson Women’s Health Organization, the US supreme court case that rescinded the constitutional right to abortion, is failing on its own terms. Since the ruling, in June 2022, the number of abortions in the US has risen. Support for reproductive rights is on the upswing. And the rate of voluntary sterilization among young … Read more

A “Striking” Trend: After Texas Banned Abortion, More Women Nearly Bled to Death During Miscarriage

Now, a new ProPublica data analysis adds empirical weight to the mounting evidence that abortion bans have made the common experience of miscarriage — which occurs in up to 30% of pregnancies — far more dangerous. It is based on hospital discharge data from Texas, the largest state to ban abortion, and captures emergency department … Read more

Crisis pregnancy centers told to avoid ultrasounds for suspected ectopic pregnancies

The plaintiff, a Worcester resident who was kept anonymous in the suit, alleged that the nurse who performed her ultrasound scan at the center “did not undertake sufficient medical measures” to ensure the pregnancy was viable. The suit alleges that the woman’s fallopian tube ruptured about a month after the ultrasound scan, “causing massive internal … Read more

Republican representative’s ectopic pregnancy clashes with Florida abortion law

Abortion rights activists say the law created problems. Florida regulators say ectopic pregnancies are not abortions and are exempt from restrictions, but Molly Duane, with the Center for Reproductive Rights, told the Wall Street Journal the law does not define ectopic pregnancy, which can be difficult to diagnose. Read more at The Guardian

New state laws aim to clarify abortion bans. Doctors say it’s not so simple.

But lawmakers have made clear that the bill, crafted in consultation with Texas-based health professionals and abortion opponents, does not introduce new exceptions; Texas’ ban does not allow for abortions in cases of rape, incest or fatal fetal anomaly. And if enacted, it would codify a Texas Supreme Court decision that found that the state’s … Read more

Trump stokes fear, confusion with pulled emergency abortion guidance

“Clinicians are scared to provide basic medical care, and this care is clearly in line with medical ethics … medical standards of care, and they’re being put in this situation where they can’t win,” said Payal Shah, director of research, legal and advocacy at Physicians for Human Rights. Read more at The Hill  

Trump rescinds guidance protecting women in need of emergency abortions

“This action sends a clear message: the lives and health of pregnant people are not worth protecting,” Dr Jamila Perritt, an OB-GYN and the president of Physicians for Reproductive Health, said in a statement. “Complying with this law can mean the difference between life and death for pregnant people, forcing providers like me to choose … Read more