Maternal mortality rates could rise for minorities without Roe, experts warn


Adding to concerns about the risks of pregnancy in the U.S., the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade Friday and The Guardian says "without abortion access for those who need it, there will likely be more deaths."
"There are going to be more people who are forced to carry a pregnancy to term," said Rachel Hardeman, a reproductive health equity professor and researcher at the University of Minnesota School of Public Health.
The U.S. currently has the highest maternal mortality rate compared to other developed countries and it is continuing to rise. The Guardian notes that Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data shows that "[f]or every 100,000 births, 23.8 people died from pregnancy or childbirth-related causes in 2020."
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
NAACP general counsel Janette McCarthy says while this is an attack on all women, "Black women stand to be disproportionately impacted," Reuters writes. The CDC confirmed that Black women are 2.9 times more likely to die from pregnancy than non-Hispanic white women.
What is causing the deaths? Not having proper medical care during pregnancy has an impact on maternal mortality. The March of Dimes says this is even worse in rural areas where there's limited access to obstetric providers, or even worse, in "maternity care deserts" where there are no hospitals or birth centers at all.
Many experts predict that access to adequate health care will become an even larger issue as access to abortion is restricted.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Kelsee Majette has worked as a social media editor at The Week since 2022. In 2019, she got her start in local television as a digital producer and fill-in weather reporter at NTV News. Kelsee also co-produced a lifestyle talk show while working in Nebraska and later transitioned to 13News Now as a digital content producer.
-
October 5 editorial cartoons
Cartoons Sunday's political cartoons include half-truth hucksters, Capitol lockdown, and more
-
Jaguar Land Rover’s cyber bailout
Talking Point Should the government do more to protect business from the ‘cyber shockwave’?
-
Russia: already at war with Europe?
Talking Point As Kremlin begins ‘cranking up attacks’ on Ukraine’s European allies, questions about future action remain unanswered
-
FDA OKs generic abortion pill, riling the right
Speed Read The drug in question is a generic version of mifepristone, used to carry out two-thirds of US abortions
-
The new Stratus Covid strain – and why it’s on the rise
The Explainer ‘No evidence’ new variant is more dangerous or that vaccines won’t work against it, say UK health experts
-
‘Nightmare bacteria’ are rapidly spreading
Under the radar The infections are largely resistant to antibiotics
-
Kissing bug disease has a growing presence in the US
The explainer The disease has yielded a steady stream of cases in the last 10 years
-
Climate change is making us eat more sugar
Under the radar Sweets make the heat feel more manageable
-
Trump makes unmoored claims on Tylenol and autism
Speed Read No causal relationship has been established between autism and acetaminophen use during pregnancy
-
RFK Jr. vaccine panel advises restricting MMRV shot
Speed Read The committee voted to restrict access to a childhood vaccine against chickenpox
-
Quit-smoking ads are being put out
Under the radar The dissolution of a government-funded campaign could lead to more smokers in the future