Copy of Fact Check Friday- “Abortion bans and the overturning of Roe v Wade puts women at risk and has increased maternal mortality in states where abortion is limited."

What they say.

The claim, which has been cited in multiple publications and news outlets, is from a single study done at Tulane University whose findings suggest that maternal mortality rates are higher in states with more abortion restrictions.

Here's a short summary of the study:

The researchers indexed each state's abortion policy composite index based on eight policy restrictions (gestational age limits, ultrasound requirements, waiting period, etc.). They then examined the relationship between the abortion "climate" and maternal deaths in those states from 2015-2018. They found that states with the higher score of abortion policy composite index had a 7% increase in total maternal mortality compared with states with lower abortion policy composite index.

The researchers conclude that maternal mortality will be higher post Roe. And they further conclude that states with abortion restrictions are more dangerous for women.

Let's Take a Closer Look

The study was based on maternal mortality data from 2015 to 2018. Since then, the CDC has made major changes in the way maternal deaths are reported. A so called "pregnancy check box" was included in mortality data up until 2022. This check box allowed pregnancy associated deaths to be added to maternal mortality statistics. The "pregnancy check box" on death certificates was removed in a 2022 revision.To show the significance of this revision, 26% of all maternal deaths in Pennsylvania were from the death certificate "check box" defined in the Pennsylvania Maternal Mortality Review as:

Pregnancy-associated but not related death is the death of an individual while pregnant or within one year of the end of pregnancy from any cause that is not related to pregnancy. This can include a cause of death such as a car accident. 

So the Tulane study begins with faulty data that included pregnancy associated deaths due to the check box on death certificates.

It also makes a huge leap from 2018 to 2022 when the Dobbs decision overturned Roe v Wade. It makes the assumption that abortion restrictions will perhaps increase negative outcomes for women. But he claim has not been backed up by any data.

The composite index of the abortion "climate" also makes it impossible to distiquish between laws that protect women (abortion providers must be credentialed practitioners, ultrasound to determine gestational age, etc.)

The other item overlooked in the study is the rise of self managed abortion and at home abortion pills which have caused a 500% increase in post abortion hospital visits.

What's the Real Story

Recently, the CDC released a report pointing to a 17% decrease in maternal mortality from 2022-2023. In 2023, 669 women died of maternal causes in the United States, compared with 817 in 2022. This is encouraging news, yet you probably haven’t heard anything about it in the mainstream media. In their reporting, all these news sources intentionally left out the decrease in overall maternal mortality rate, and instead focused on a marginal increase in maternal mortality rate among African American women.

Abortion advocates have tried to connect the idea that less abortion access has resulted in more African American women dying in childbirth. Yet, if abortion was in fact a tool to reduce maternal mortality for African American women, an increase in abortion would result in a decrease in maternal mortality, right? That is not what we see here. According to the CDC, African American women have the highest abortion rates in the country, undergoing abortion 4.3 times more frequently than white women. If abortion truly reduced maternal mortality, this group should have lower maternal deaths, not the highest rate (50.3 per 100,000 live births).

We can always strive to do better. Even one life lost due to a difficult pregnancy is one too many. That's why we're here.

Early ultrasound done inside our centers detects warning signs for women. Ectopic pregnancy, fetal demise, and other complications can be detected early and help women considering abortion to get proper medical care.

Common sense laws that protect women should be the priority. Restrictions based on gestational age, 24 hour waiting periods, parental consent for minors, hospital admitting privileges for abortion clinics and regulation of abortion pills by mail protect the lives of women and reduce the numbers of abortions. We should support these restrictions because they are good for mothers, good for families, and good for our communities.

Don't let casual news articles impact your views without looking at the facts, data, and sources.

Key Take Aways

The Tulane University Study has been widely accepted as true but contains multiple flaws.

1. Abortion restrictions protect the lives of women and reduce abortion.

2. Maternal mortality decreased since the overturn of Roe v Wade. Women are safer in 2025 then they were in 2021.

3. Early pregnancy detection and ultrasound are vital tools to keep women safe.

4. This is hard to talk about but you can become better equipped. Register for the Contenders Conference today.