The Association Between State-Level Abortion Restrictions and Maternal Mortality in the United States, 1995-2017
2021
This article from Contraception details the relationship between abortion restrictions and maternal mortality in the United States. Using data from 1995 to 2017, the retrospective study assesses the relationship between abortion restrictions and maternal mortality for all 50 states, classifying each state based on their abortion policies as either restrictive, neutral, or protective. The study finds that 13 states (26%) were considered restrictive in 1995, compared to 29 states (58%) classified as restrictive in 2017. The findings also indicate an association between abortion restrictions and increased maternal mortality, noting that states with restricted abortion access had worse maternal outcomes than states that were neutral or protective toward abortion care. The authors call for additional research to understand the full scope of abortion policies in the U.S. and other factors that may impact maternal outcomes and reproductive healthcare.
Source:
Addante A et al. The Association Between State-Level Abortion Restrictions and Maternal Mortality in the United States, 1995-2017. Contraception 2021; 104(5): 496-501. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.contraception.2021.03.018.