Women will keep dying & the GOP is working hard to destroy the evidence
December 4, 2024 11:56 AM Subscribe
Republicans don't care if women die from abortion bans — but they don't want you to know about it.
Even before abortion bans were enacted in 2021 (Texas) and 2022 (trigger laws in multiple states), the US had by far the highest rate of maternal mortality of any high-income nation. Per 100,000 live births, the American rate of maternal mortality was (in 2022) 22.3, versus 14.3 for the next-worst country (Chile), 13.6 in New Zealand, 8.4 in Canada, 5.5 in the UK, 3.4 in Japan, 1.2 in Switzerland, and somehow 0.0 in Norway. Rates are lowest for Asian American women (13.2) and highest for Black women (49.5). Almost 2 out of every 3 maternal deaths occur during postpartum (42 days following birth) when US women are less likely, compared to women in other countries, to have guaranteed paid leave, home visits, health insurance coverage, and other supports like protection from domestic violence, financial security, and housing.
In 2022, the CDC found that between 2017 and 2019, 84% of pregnancy-related deaths were preventable, with "white and Hispanic women most likely to die from suicide or drug overdose, while cardiac problems were the leading cause of death for Black women."
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Confirmed deaths from abortion bans that doctors say were preventable include Josseli Barnica (Texas, September 2021), Yeniifer Alvarez-Estrada Glick (Texas, July 2022), Amber Nicole Thurman (Georgia, August 2022), Candi Miller (Georgia, November 2022), Porsha Ngumezi (Texas, June 2023), Nevaeh Crain (Texas, October 2023), and Taysha Wilkinson-Sobieski (Indiana, October 2023). There are likely more.
After ProPublica reported that internal documents from the Georgia Maternal Mortality Review Committee showed Thurman and Miller's deaths were preventable, Georgia disbanded the committee.
Idaho's committee report from November 2023, using data from 2021, found that Idaho’s maternal mortality rate rose 121.5%, while the rate for children rose 18%. They recommended that the state expand Medicaid for postpartum women, and were disbanded in July 2023. Idaho's GOP-lead legislature also turned down supports for pregnancies and births. Idaho’s Legislature reestablished the committee, with new members announced in November 2024, causing a backup: they will examine 2023 data in a report due in January 2025, and then look at 2022.
The Texas Maternal Mortality and Morbidity Review Committee won't review the deaths of pregnant women in 2022 and 2023, saying they want to "be more contemporary." One of the members of the committee, who is also Vice President and Director of Medical Affairs of the anti-abortion Charlotte Lozier Institute, Ingrid Skop, co-wrote this paper arguing that, "There is no disease, illness or condition for which an induced abortion has been determined to be a standard of care for enabling a favorable outcome compared to other interventions." According to JAMA Pediatrics, infant and neonatal deaths in Texas increased by 12.9% between 2021 and 2022, since their near-total abortion ban started, compared to a nationwide 1.8% increase in the same period.
*
Republicans are lobbying to get rid of the exceptions that do still exist under these bans and want a national abortion ban with no exceptions.
Journalist Jessica Valenti, who writes for outlets like Rolling Stone, points out on her substack "that major anti-abortion leaders responded by saying abortion bans allowed for life-saving care—but wouldn’t say the law allowed for life-saving abortions. Instead, they said bans allow doctors to “treat” patients or “intervene” to save lives, carefully sidestepping the word ‘abortion.’ ...The nation’s leading anti-abortion organizations will never say doctors can legally provide life-saving abortions because their ultimate goal is to eliminate that exception entirely" like they have in Tennessee.
Despite all this, overall maternal mortality rates in the US are decreasing, with provisional rates at 19.6 per 100,000 live births for the 12 months ending June 2024, down from a high of 33.8 for the 12 months ending February 28, 2022, and slightly lower than the pre-covid number of 19.8 for the 12 months ending February 28, 2020, helped perhaps in part by 36 states extended Medicaid, for new moms from 60 days postpartum to 12 months.
Even before abortion bans were enacted in 2021 (Texas) and 2022 (trigger laws in multiple states), the US had by far the highest rate of maternal mortality of any high-income nation. Per 100,000 live births, the American rate of maternal mortality was (in 2022) 22.3, versus 14.3 for the next-worst country (Chile), 13.6 in New Zealand, 8.4 in Canada, 5.5 in the UK, 3.4 in Japan, 1.2 in Switzerland, and somehow 0.0 in Norway. Rates are lowest for Asian American women (13.2) and highest for Black women (49.5). Almost 2 out of every 3 maternal deaths occur during postpartum (42 days following birth) when US women are less likely, compared to women in other countries, to have guaranteed paid leave, home visits, health insurance coverage, and other supports like protection from domestic violence, financial security, and housing.
In 2022, the CDC found that between 2017 and 2019, 84% of pregnancy-related deaths were preventable, with "white and Hispanic women most likely to die from suicide or drug overdose, while cardiac problems were the leading cause of death for Black women."
*
Confirmed deaths from abortion bans that doctors say were preventable include Josseli Barnica (Texas, September 2021), Yeniifer Alvarez-Estrada Glick (Texas, July 2022), Amber Nicole Thurman (Georgia, August 2022), Candi Miller (Georgia, November 2022), Porsha Ngumezi (Texas, June 2023), Nevaeh Crain (Texas, October 2023), and Taysha Wilkinson-Sobieski (Indiana, October 2023). There are likely more.
After ProPublica reported that internal documents from the Georgia Maternal Mortality Review Committee showed Thurman and Miller's deaths were preventable, Georgia disbanded the committee.
Idaho's committee report from November 2023, using data from 2021, found that Idaho’s maternal mortality rate rose 121.5%, while the rate for children rose 18%. They recommended that the state expand Medicaid for postpartum women, and were disbanded in July 2023. Idaho's GOP-lead legislature also turned down supports for pregnancies and births. Idaho’s Legislature reestablished the committee, with new members announced in November 2024, causing a backup: they will examine 2023 data in a report due in January 2025, and then look at 2022.
The Texas Maternal Mortality and Morbidity Review Committee won't review the deaths of pregnant women in 2022 and 2023, saying they want to "be more contemporary." One of the members of the committee, who is also Vice President and Director of Medical Affairs of the anti-abortion Charlotte Lozier Institute, Ingrid Skop, co-wrote this paper arguing that, "There is no disease, illness or condition for which an induced abortion has been determined to be a standard of care for enabling a favorable outcome compared to other interventions." According to JAMA Pediatrics, infant and neonatal deaths in Texas increased by 12.9% between 2021 and 2022, since their near-total abortion ban started, compared to a nationwide 1.8% increase in the same period.
*
Republicans are lobbying to get rid of the exceptions that do still exist under these bans and want a national abortion ban with no exceptions.
Journalist Jessica Valenti, who writes for outlets like Rolling Stone, points out on her substack "that major anti-abortion leaders responded by saying abortion bans allowed for life-saving care—but wouldn’t say the law allowed for life-saving abortions. Instead, they said bans allow doctors to “treat” patients or “intervene” to save lives, carefully sidestepping the word ‘abortion.’ ...The nation’s leading anti-abortion organizations will never say doctors can legally provide life-saving abortions because their ultimate goal is to eliminate that exception entirely" like they have in Tennessee.
Despite all this, overall maternal mortality rates in the US are decreasing, with provisional rates at 19.6 per 100,000 live births for the 12 months ending June 2024, down from a high of 33.8 for the 12 months ending February 28, 2022, and slightly lower than the pre-covid number of 19.8 for the 12 months ending February 28, 2020, helped perhaps in part by 36 states extended Medicaid, for new moms from 60 days postpartum to 12 months.
Covid all over again.
Clean Air act all over again. Air pollution doesn't get counted if you do it in Latino areas of Texas or Black areas of Louisiana.
It s too expense for them to know things.
And, then, in a pinch, Senator Cassidy of Louisiana has come out and said "we have great maternal mortality, if you exclude African Americans from the rates"
posted by eustatic at 12:44 PM on December 4, 2024 [22 favorites]
Clean Air act all over again. Air pollution doesn't get counted if you do it in Latino areas of Texas or Black areas of Louisiana.
It s too expense for them to know things.
And, then, in a pinch, Senator Cassidy of Louisiana has come out and said "we have great maternal mortality, if you exclude African Americans from the rates"
posted by eustatic at 12:44 PM on December 4, 2024 [22 favorites]
Constructed social ills remain a useful, if distasteful, distraction — and the related rhetoric is a wedge to keep the various alienated classes fractured.
posted by grokus at 12:59 PM on December 4, 2024 [1 favorite]
posted by grokus at 12:59 PM on December 4, 2024 [1 favorite]
Women dying because they're denied medical care? It's a feature, not a bug.
posted by tommasz at 1:09 PM on December 4, 2024 [13 favorites]
posted by tommasz at 1:09 PM on December 4, 2024 [13 favorites]
I wonder why any woman (or any man who has and likes female friends and family) ever votes Republican, but I’ve been wondering that at least since the Thomas confirmation hearings, so….
posted by GenjiandProust at 1:15 PM on December 4, 2024 [20 favorites]
posted by GenjiandProust at 1:15 PM on December 4, 2024 [20 favorites]
When Dobbs was unleashed on us, I knew that whereas one woman's death galvanized opposition to the abortion ban in Ireland, women's deaths here would result in no real public outcry. Not that I know what to do myself other than despair at the utter lack of concern for actual human life in this country.
posted by Il etait une fois at 1:29 PM on December 4, 2024 [14 favorites]
posted by Il etait une fois at 1:29 PM on December 4, 2024 [14 favorites]
It’s sort of like the gun control issue in that regard, then.
posted by Selena777 at 1:34 PM on December 4, 2024 [18 favorites]
posted by Selena777 at 1:34 PM on December 4, 2024 [18 favorites]
I would say this would never work, but then there are 745,000 Russians dead in the war in Ukraine and I absofuckinglutely guarantee you regular Russians do not know this.
Authoritarians can pull off some impressive suppression of disinformation.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 1:34 PM on December 4, 2024 [14 favorites]
Authoritarians can pull off some impressive suppression of disinformation.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 1:34 PM on December 4, 2024 [14 favorites]
It's common, when talking about jobs, for politicians to imply that if the jobs exist anywhere, then it's an individual's choice not to move to those places, implying that it's not their problem if someone stays in a depressed area.
If women aren't moving away from these places, it's safe to say that there is a systemic reason that the population doesn't just move to a better place wherever it would be in their interests, not personal choice, because nobody would live in these places if they didn't have to.
posted by krisjohn at 1:40 PM on December 4, 2024 [3 favorites]
If women aren't moving away from these places, it's safe to say that there is a systemic reason that the population doesn't just move to a better place wherever it would be in their interests, not personal choice, because nobody would live in these places if they didn't have to.
posted by krisjohn at 1:40 PM on December 4, 2024 [3 favorites]
I wonder why any woman (or any man who has and likes female friends and family) ever votes Republican, but I’ve been wondering that at least since the Thomas confirmation hearings, so….
Because women dying from preventable care gets less time in the press than the Mexican border or inflation, and democrats weren't interested in going on the offensive. Most women probably have no idea what the abortion laws and fewer people the comparative infant mortality rates.
posted by The_Vegetables at 2:04 PM on December 4, 2024 [9 favorites]
Because women dying from preventable care gets less time in the press than the Mexican border or inflation, and democrats weren't interested in going on the offensive. Most women probably have no idea what the abortion laws and fewer people the comparative infant mortality rates.
posted by The_Vegetables at 2:04 PM on December 4, 2024 [9 favorites]
There's a special room in hell. Or maybe a stadium. Time zone?
posted by gottabefunky at 2:26 PM on December 4, 2024 [3 favorites]
posted by gottabefunky at 2:26 PM on December 4, 2024 [3 favorites]
Ugh. Obviously my above comment should say either "suppression of information" or "disinformation."
I do not know why every single thing I type has at least one error.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 3:15 PM on December 4, 2024 [4 favorites]
I do not know why every single thing I type has at least one error.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 3:15 PM on December 4, 2024 [4 favorites]
Thanks, I hate it. (Wonderful post though, joannemerriam.)
posted by hydra77 at 4:15 PM on December 4, 2024 [8 favorites]
posted by hydra77 at 4:15 PM on December 4, 2024 [8 favorites]
Most women probably have no idea what the abortion laws and fewer people the comparative infant mortality rates.
I want to believe this, but evidence seems to show that the women who voted anti-choice think abortion laws will not affect them, or that they genuinely do want restrictions on abortion laws, for whatever reasons they may have (religious, relationships with self/the opposite gender/the same gender.)
posted by ichomp at 6:49 PM on December 4, 2024 [2 favorites]
I want to believe this, but evidence seems to show that the women who voted anti-choice think abortion laws will not affect them, or that they genuinely do want restrictions on abortion laws, for whatever reasons they may have (religious, relationships with self/the opposite gender/the same gender.)
posted by ichomp at 6:49 PM on December 4, 2024 [2 favorites]
I want to believe this, but evidence seems to show that the women who voted anti-choice think abortion laws will not affect them, or that they genuinely do want restrictions on abortion laws,
Yes, this is also true, but that is not the majority of women or people in the US. The percentage of people who get abortions isn't actually very high- so it's not a completely unreasonable assumption, but that also means the vast majority only think about it very abstract terms.
posted by The_Vegetables at 7:28 AM on December 5, 2024
Yes, this is also true, but that is not the majority of women or people in the US. The percentage of people who get abortions isn't actually very high- so it's not a completely unreasonable assumption, but that also means the vast majority only think about it very abstract terms.
posted by The_Vegetables at 7:28 AM on December 5, 2024
I do not know why every single thing I type has at least one error.
posted by DirtyOldTown
You've been in Chicago too long.
posted by Reverend John at 1:34 PM on December 5, 2024 [1 favorite]
posted by DirtyOldTown
You've been in Chicago too long.
posted by Reverend John at 1:34 PM on December 5, 2024 [1 favorite]
Almost a quarter of American women will have an abortion in their lifetime. More than half of all pregnancies are unintended. The percentage of people who get abortions is lower than it used to be, and still fairly high. (And good for them.) Source
posted by lauranesson at 2:01 PM on December 5, 2024 [4 favorites]
posted by lauranesson at 2:01 PM on December 5, 2024 [4 favorites]
One of the ways you know that anti-abortion/forced birth advocates don't actually have as a goal lowering the number of abortions, is that they advocate for abortion restrictions (which perversely increase the number of abortions) rather than advocating for things that would make abortions less common, like socialized healthcare, financial supports for parents, subsidized daycare, etc. One of the main reasons people get abortions is that they can't afford the child, but forced birthers typically aren't interested in doing anything to make children and childcare more affordable.
posted by joannemerriam at 2:12 PM on December 5, 2024 [11 favorites]
posted by joannemerriam at 2:12 PM on December 5, 2024 [11 favorites]
Still think the biggest mistake the anti-choice faction made is in equating elective abortion with miscarriage care. As Chrissy Tiegen commented, 'no one told me I was having an abortion' when she needed a D&C. I remember my own mother being infuriated when her physician said 'ah, yes, you've had 2 abortions' meaning pregnancies that ended naturally...and she was the staff who actually placed the physician's orders in our local hospital.
It was easy to support abortion limits when they didn't impact the 30ish% of pregnancies that ended naturally prior to 8 to 12 weeks. OBs didn't even want to see the pregnant pt prior to 12 wks because miscarriage was so likely but if bleeding arose, there were treatment options. Now? I understand the new rules in TX at least are that the fetal heart beat must no longer be detectable to qualify for certain types of care... well how do you do that if it was never assessed to begin with?
The refusals to do either D&Cs or use drugs to induce expulsion of the fetal tissue is going to be the tipping point. With both options gone, we're just waiting for the 'proper' person to die...likely a daughter or wife of a white politician since the deaths of the women of color haven't changed the Texas legislature's view.
I'm actually expecting the deaths after the failure of the drugs to work as (erroneously) expected to be the basis of changing the schedule for them, meaning higher restrictions on their use and on the ability for them to be mailed.
posted by beaning at 5:14 PM on December 5, 2024 [5 favorites]
It was easy to support abortion limits when they didn't impact the 30ish% of pregnancies that ended naturally prior to 8 to 12 weeks. OBs didn't even want to see the pregnant pt prior to 12 wks because miscarriage was so likely but if bleeding arose, there were treatment options. Now? I understand the new rules in TX at least are that the fetal heart beat must no longer be detectable to qualify for certain types of care... well how do you do that if it was never assessed to begin with?
The refusals to do either D&Cs or use drugs to induce expulsion of the fetal tissue is going to be the tipping point. With both options gone, we're just waiting for the 'proper' person to die...likely a daughter or wife of a white politician since the deaths of the women of color haven't changed the Texas legislature's view.
I'm actually expecting the deaths after the failure of the drugs to work as (erroneously) expected to be the basis of changing the schedule for them, meaning higher restrictions on their use and on the ability for them to be mailed.
posted by beaning at 5:14 PM on December 5, 2024 [5 favorites]
And never forget that of the women who've died so far for lack of miscarriage care, I believe all except one intended to carry the pregnancy to term.
posted by beaning at 5:22 PM on December 5, 2024 [4 favorites]
posted by beaning at 5:22 PM on December 5, 2024 [4 favorites]
Also I really kinda think men's opinion on this shouldn't count until we're equal.
posted by lauranesson at 6:50 PM on December 5, 2024 [3 favorites]
posted by lauranesson at 6:50 PM on December 5, 2024 [3 favorites]
And probably maybe not even then.
posted by lauranesson at 6:51 PM on December 5, 2024 [3 favorites]
posted by lauranesson at 6:51 PM on December 5, 2024 [3 favorites]
Some men also need both pregnancy care and access to abortion. It may be wiser to specify "cis men" if that's who you mean.
posted by adrienneleigh at 8:29 PM on December 5, 2024 [4 favorites]
posted by adrienneleigh at 8:29 PM on December 5, 2024 [4 favorites]
There are both men and women whose opinions on abortion do not reflect larger society.
Nationally: while Joe Manchin is generally remembered as the one who blocked the June 2024 abortion rights legislation, all Republican women except Collins and Murkowski voted against it and Dem Senator Krysten Sinema was an unreliable ally in the lead-up.
State level: Republican women governors and legislators and judges have blocked numerous abortion-related protection bills.
Historically, at least 4 male medical abortion providers have been murdered and numerous men and women clinic staff and escorts have been wounded and harassed. Per Wikipedia, since the 1970s in the United States, there have been at least 11 murders, 42 bombings, 196 arsons, and 491 assaults against abortion providers.[8] At least one murder occurred in Australia, as well as several attempted murders in Canada. There were 1,793 abortion providers in the United States in 2008,[9] as well as 197 abortion providers in Canada in 2001.[10] The National Abortion Federation reported between 1,356 and 13,415 incidents of picketing at United States providers each year from 1995 to 2014.[11]
posted by beaning at 11:23 AM on December 7, 2024 [3 favorites]
Nationally: while Joe Manchin is generally remembered as the one who blocked the June 2024 abortion rights legislation, all Republican women except Collins and Murkowski voted against it and Dem Senator Krysten Sinema was an unreliable ally in the lead-up.
State level: Republican women governors and legislators and judges have blocked numerous abortion-related protection bills.
Historically, at least 4 male medical abortion providers have been murdered and numerous men and women clinic staff and escorts have been wounded and harassed. Per Wikipedia, since the 1970s in the United States, there have been at least 11 murders, 42 bombings, 196 arsons, and 491 assaults against abortion providers.[8] At least one murder occurred in Australia, as well as several attempted murders in Canada. There were 1,793 abortion providers in the United States in 2008,[9] as well as 197 abortion providers in Canada in 2001.[10] The National Abortion Federation reported between 1,356 and 13,415 incidents of picketing at United States providers each year from 1995 to 2014.[11]
posted by beaning at 11:23 AM on December 7, 2024 [3 favorites]
I'm late back to this, but you are 100% right, adrienneleigh, and thank you for the call-in.
posted by lauranesson at 5:24 PM on December 12, 2024 [1 favorite]
posted by lauranesson at 5:24 PM on December 12, 2024 [1 favorite]
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