Summary
New research shows that abortion bans in the United States have increased the risks of death for pregnant women. The study, examining data from 2018 to 2021, found that the death rate for pregnancy is much higher than for abortions and that the difference has grown with recent changes in abortion laws.
Key Facts
- Researchers looked at data from national births and deaths from 2018 to 2021.
- There were 14.9 million births and 3.6 million abortions in the U.S. during this period.
- The study identified 3,065 pregnancy-related deaths and 17 abortion-related deaths.
- The death rate from pregnancy was found to be about 44.3 per 100,000 births, significantly higher than from abortions.
- The increase in death rates was partly due to better reporting of pregnancy-related deaths and safer abortion procedures.
- The 2022 Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision led to more women continuing pregnancies with medical risks.
- Thirteen U.S. states have total abortion bans, while 28 states restrict abortions based on how far along the pregnancy is.
- The study was published in the JAMA Network Open journal.
