The risk of death during pregnancy is twice as high in states that ban abortion
This story was originally reported by Shefali Luthra of The 19th, and republished through Rewire News Group’s partnership with The 19th News Network.
Pregnant people living in states with abortion bans are almost twice as likely to die during pregnancy or soon after giving birth, a report released Wednesday found. The report was produced by the Gender Equity Policy Institute. This nonprofit research and policy group found that pregnancy-related deaths have decreased in states which protect abortion access, and increased in Texas. The report found that pregnant Black women, white women, and Latinas are all at greater risk of death in states with abortion bans than they would be if they lived in states that protect abortion rights.
“There are two Americas for reproductive-aged women and people who can become pregnant in the United States,” said Nancy Cohen, founder of the Gender Equity Policy Institute. “One America, where you’re at serious risk of major health complications or death if you become pregnant, and one where you’re most likely to have a positive birth experience, a healthy pregnancy, and a healthy child.”
Researchers compared pregnancy-related deaths in states where abortion is almost completely banned and where it is protected. (The World Health Organization defines a pregnancy-related death as one that occurs while pregnant or within a 42-day period after the end of pregnancy, and only when the cause is “related to or aggravated” by pregnancy or its management.) The report uses data from the Federal Government’s National Vital Statistics Section in order to analyze pregnancy-related mortality from 2019 until 2023. The data focused on people who identified as “mother” and did not specifically study pregnancy-related deaths for transgender and nonbinary people.
Health-care providers have warned for years that abortion bans pose risks to pregnant patients’ lives. These laws allow for a narrow exception if an abortion is needed to save the life of a pregnant woman. However, doctors report that they are vague and confusing. Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi had higher rates of pregnancy-related deaths even before Roe. But the report suggests that the divides between states have only grown since the loss of federal abortion protections.
In Texas, the largest state to ban abortion, the trend is most pronounced: In 2022, the first full year Texas had outlawed most abortions, pregnancy-related deaths went up by 56 percent, the report found–a much larger jump than the national increase of 11 percent. The report shows that in states that have abortion protection, pregnancy-related death rates are down by 21 percent. The report showed that in 2023 white women in Texas and Latinas were more than 1.7 times as likely to die from their pregnancy as compared to those in states where abortion rights are protected. The difference is even more stark when compared with pregnant women in California who have the lowest rate of pregnancy related deaths: Latinas were three times as likely to die in Texas, while white women were two times as likely. We know that some of these women in Texas have insurance and are middle-class. It shows the extent of the impact abortion bans can have.”
Yet, Black women are still at greater risk of death from pregnancy in Texas. In 2023 they will be 2.5 times as likely to die due to their pregnancy than white women. Black women who live in states that have banned abortions face the highest risk of death from pregnancy. The analysis showed that 60.9 Black women died for every 100,000 births compared to only 18.2 White women and 18.2 Latinas. The data shows that there are greater risks in states where abortion is restricted. In those states, black women had a 1.45-times greater chance of dying as a result if pregnancy than their counterparts in states that provided protection. Black women disproportionately live in states that have banned abortion.
It’s not necessarily clear if or how abortion bans themselves have played a role. Black women living in states that have banned abortions have seen a rise in pregnancy-related death rates since 2022. However, this increase was not statistically significant. It could also be that Black women already had higher rates of pregnancy-related death. Cohen said that the report’s findings indicate abortion bans may be a factor in the current crisis. It’s clear that the abortion ban is having a negative impact on Black women in banned states compared to their counterparts within the state and compared to their outcomes in supportive states,” she said.
