US abortion restrictions are hindering access to miscarriage care, study finds
Summary
A new study shows that abortion restrictions in some US states have made it harder for people to get proper care for miscarriages. After a 2022 Supreme Court decision allowed states to ban abortion, miscarriage treatments changed, with fewer patients getting standard medications and more being told to wait and see.Key Facts
- The Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision in June 2022 overturned Roe v. Wade and allowed states to restrict abortion.
- The study examined over 123,000 patients with private insurance, comparing those in states with abortion bans to those in states without.
- In states with abortion bans, the use of medication to treat miscarriage dropped by 2.2%, while sending patients home to wait increased by 2.8%.
- Patients in ban states were more likely to get misoprostol-only treatment, which is slower and less common as a miscarriage care method in the US.
- Miscarriage care and abortion care use the same treatments and medications.
- The study likely underestimates the problem because it only included people with private insurance, not those on Medicaid who often face greater health risks.
- More than one million people lose pregnancies each year in the US, with at least 400,000 miscarriages occurring in states with abortion restrictions.
- Experts warn that poor miscarriage care can be dangerous and emphasize the need for safe and accessible medical options.
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