CDC refuses to track deaths from abortion bans as risks rise
- Pregnant women in states with abortion bans have faced severe health risks leading to preventable deaths.
- Despite calls from experts, the CDC has not implemented guidelines for states to examine the impact of abortion bans on maternal health.
- There is significant concern about how the lack of comprehensive data may impede understanding of the dangers associated with these laws.
In the United States, particularly in states with abortion bans, there is growing concern regarding the health implications of these restrictions. Reports have surfaced indicating that pregnant women are experiencing life-threatening complications when access to safe abortion care is limited. Instances of women bleeding to death or succumbing to infections have been documented, raising alarms about the potential consequences of these laws on maternal health. As health experts warn about the need for comprehensive oversight, the CDC has come under scrutiny for not mandating state maternal mortality review committees to investigate the role of abortion bans in these deaths. This lack of data could severely hinder efforts to understand the full impact of these laws on maternal health. While some states have begun to recognize the problems linked to delayed care, others remain resistant to collecting data that could illustrate the negative effects of these abortion restrictions. The Biden administration, despite issuing an executive order aimed at assessing the implications of abortion bans, has also not taken effective steps to improve tracking maternal deaths associated with these laws. This situation reflects a broader trend of political reluctance to confront the significance of abortion-related health outcomes in reviewing maternal mortality, ultimately leaving many questions unanswered about the safety and wellbeing of women in restrictive states.