- The Commonwealth Fund released a report indicating that maternal death rates in 2020 were 62 percent higher in states that ban or restrict abortion than in states where the procedure is still accessible. This disparity holds true across racial and ethnic groups: maternal death rates were 20 percent higher for Black people, 31 percent higher for Hispanic people, and 33 percent higher for white people. Women of reproductive age in restrictive states have less access to affordable health plans and less access to maternity health care providers. These states had a 32 percent lower ratio of OBGYNs to births and a 59 percent lower ratio of certified midwives to births. (Report here)
December 14, 2022
Public Health/Prevention