How Will Recent Abortion Legislation Affect Women’s Health?
Limits on abortion may further increase U.S. maternal morbidity and mortality.
egislation passed this year in several states would sig- Lnificantly curtail a woman’s ability to obtain an abortion. Six states this year—Georgia, Ken- tucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Mis- souri, and Ohio—ban abortion after detection of a fetal heartbeat, effectively at six to eight weeks of pregnancy. A seventh state, Ala- bama, permits abortion only to save a woman’s life; abortions for any other reason are crimes pun- ishable by imprisonment for those who provide them. And Georgia grants legal “personhood” status to fertilized embryos. None of these laws have taken effect and all are being challenged Georgia governor Brian Kemp signs HB 481, the “heartbeat bill,” on May 7 in Atlanta, in court. Should these lawsuits setting the stage for a legal battle as the state attempts to outlaw most abortions af- reach the Supreme Court and re- ter about six weeks of pregnancy. Photo by Bob Andres / Atlanta Journal-Constitution sult in overturning Roe v. Wade, via Associated Press. the federal law that currently grants women the right to terminate preg- nancies, the consequences could In the United States, oral mi egg, which the Georgia statute have an effect on all U.S. women soprostol and mifepristone are deems a person. Might this, there- and their families. Advocates for Food and Drug Administration– fore, make IUDs unavailable to maintaining the law contend that approved medications to safely in- women residing in Georgia? When health risks from unwanted preg- duce abortion in the first 12 weeks pregnant patients present with nancies would likely fall dispropor- of pregnancy. Self-managed abor- vaginal bleeding, might clinicians tionately on poor and marginalized tion at home, when using approved decline to help for fear of prose- women, including women of color, abortion-inducing pills without cution? And might women with immigrants, minors, and women clinical supervision, has been vaginal bleeding—which can in- living in rural areas. deemed safe and effective by the dicate fibroid tumors or cancer in In regions where abortion is il- World Health Organization. Ad- addition to pregnancy problems legal or unavailable, studies show vice is available from telemedicine such as miscarriage—delay seek- that women tend to seek unsafe programs and websites that offer ing medical help?—Joan Zolot, or illegal abortions or try to in- online protocols for use of abortion PA duce abortion by ingesting herbs medications. or inflicting trauma to the abdo- Many questions remain about men. Up to 13% of maternal the broader impact of each of the Got News? deaths worldwide are attributable recently passed state abortion to clandestine or unsafe abortions, bans, should they take effect. For Send leads for stories about which carry the risk of complica- example, the contraceptive intra nursing practice or issues to tions, including hemorrhage, in- uterine device (IUD) acts by pre- [email protected]. fection, sepsis, trauma, and death. venting implantation of a fertilized [email protected] AJN ▼ August 2019 ▼ Vol. 119, No. 8 15