The Impact of Abortion Bans on Maternal Mortality
The US has the highest pregnancy-related mortality of all high income countries and this would increase substantially
The overall picture of maternal health in the U.S. is shocking.
It is a gruesome statistic but for years, the U.S. has had by far the highest pregnancy-related maternal mortality level among all high-income countries.
In 2020 we recorded 23.8 maternal deaths per every 100,000 live births. In fact, while globally the overall maternal mortality has been decreasing for decades (including all developed high income countries), in the U.S. the trend has been moving in the opposite direction with maternal death ratios increasing annually over the past 20 years. Even within the country the rates of pregnancy-related deaths differ drastically ranging from 19.1 for White to 55.3 per 100,000 for Black mothers. Furthermore, geographic location also plays a big role - many states, particularly rural ones and those who are more likely to ban abortion if Roe v. Wade is overturned, have vast maternal health deserts with very limited access to good quality care. As a result, many pregnant women experience extreme difficulty to access care and often also require long distance travel to deliver their babies and receive postpartum attention. On top of that, the U.S. has the lowest supply of midwives compared to other developed countries thus affecting the quality and quantity of care new mothers are able to receive.
Let’s put it this way - statistically it doesn’t seem like we are in a great position to force women to give birth. If Roe v. Wade is overturned, and abortion is banned, the U.S. would be 1 of only 4 countries that have done so since 1994 with others being Poland, El Salvador and Nicaragua.
What’s happening in the states that have already imposed abortion restrictions?
A study analyzing National Vital Statistics System data found that maternal mortality rates in the states that have recently restricted abortion have increased by 38% between 2007 and 2015 (the national average increase was 18.6% for the same time period).
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