On the Dobbs' abortion case's anniversary, celebrate life-affirming medical care
Indeed, the only thing preventing women from receiving the care they need is the very narrative promoted by these activists, who claim to seek protections for women's reproductive health. It's long past time for them to realize the truth: Pregnant women have the same access to the quality healthcare they need post-Roe as they did before.
It's time to set the record straight.
For example, despite rampant claims to the contrary, the number of obstetrician gynecologists in pro-life states is growing at a higher rate than in states without pro-life protections, according to a Journal of the American Medical Association article published this year. Yet the media continues shamelessly to rely on interviews with the same handful of doctors to spin their shortage narratives. Pregnant women and their families are also able to access ongoing compassionate care and support at our nation's network of nearly 3,000 pregnancy resource centers, which have served nearly 975,000 patients since 2022.
We also have seen improvement in maternal mortality rates in states that have restricted abortion, despite fear-inducing claims that pro-life laws would do the opposite. Idaho, for example, has some of the strongest pro-life protections in the country and saw its maternal mortality numbers improve tremendously since Roe's overturn.
CDC data also confirm that maternal mortality decreased by 17 percent nationally during the first full year (2023) after Roe was overturned. This echoed a range of international studies that show that induced abortion does not improve maternal mortality rates.
Finally, FDA Commissioner Makary's recent comment committing to a thorough review of the safety of the chemical abortion drug mifepristone represents another important victory for women's health. While abortion proponents dangerously insist that chemical abortion pills are 'safer than Tylenol' — an oft quoted claim that has been thoroughly debunked — they ignore the real-world impact this drug is having among the women who are left without the medical oversight they deserve. A recently released report links mifepristone to serious adverse reactions at much higher rates than reported by the FDA — a finding consistent with what doctors like me are seeing in our practices.
Continuing to propagate lies about induced abortion also serves to draw public attention away from making meaningful progress in the area of women's health. Doctors, lawmakers and movement leaders must work to make real strides for mothers and their unborn children, not score political points.
In our post-Dobbs world, women need to know that they can continue to receive the excellent care they deserve. To ensure that they do, states should enact more medical education provisions to defend their pro-life protections against misinformation in the media and assure the public and expecting mothers that these laws are in their favor. So far, South Dakota and Texas have passed legislation funding an educational video on their abortion laws, clarifying doctors' ongoing ability to treat women suffering from pregnancy complications. Likewise, in 2024, Florida issued clarification on the availability of life-saving care under its state laws.
The medical association that I lead, is also doing its part to educate doctors on their roles and responsibilities to keep treating women in the post-Dobbs legal landscape — assuring them that if they weren't doing induced abortions before, nothing about their practice needs to change. I am able to provide lifesaving care for my patients at every step and stage of pregnancy in Indiana, just as I always have, and just as doctors across the country are able to do.
When I care for patients, I ensure they have the best and most accurate information about their healthcare. Regardless of political differences, we must all work together to improve women's health and ensure that women have accurate information so they can make fully informed decisions. We have already made great strides for mothers in the three years post-Dobbs. The next three and beyond can be even more transformative for women and their children if we can all join together to advocate for real solutions to the obstacles that so many face to a healthy future.
Christina Francis is a board-certified obstetrician-gynecologist practicing as an obstetric hospitalist. She also serves as CEO of the American Association of Pro-Life Obstetricians and Gynecologists.
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Chicago Tribune
12 minutes ago
- Chicago Tribune
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