Doulas play a key role in helping our communities stay informed when it comes to reproductive health. Whether you will be voting Nov. 5 on key ballot measures or having ongoing conversations with friends and family about the importance of reproductive freedom, here are a few key facts you can offer to help educate those who have doubts or questions:
Do abortion bans increase maternal mortality?
In some cases, maternal mortality is nearly twice as high in states where abortion is banned compared to states which have unrestricted access. Click here to learn more about the risks associated with abortion restrictions. If you are looking to reference personal stories as examples, here are just a few:
- Abortion Bans Have Delayed Emergency Medical Care. In Georgia, Experts Say This Mother’s Death Was Preventable
- Kate Cox Tells Her Story
Do abortion bans and gestational limits affect reproductive healthcare needs other than abortion?
Yes, they can. Medical interventions used to manage pregnancy loss are the same medicines and procedures used in abortions, so abortion bans and gestational limits can limit care for those experiencing a miscarriage or stillbirth. Clinicians practicing in states which ban abortion report a worsening ability to practice within their standard of care.
Does reinstating abortion access mean that "late term abortions" will be allowed?
It's important to understand that the phrase "late term abortion" has no clinical or medical significance. Standard abortion procedures can be performed safely up to 28 weeks gestation, however termination after 21 weeks constitutes only 1% of abortions. "Term" pregnancy is defined as 37 to 42 weeks gestation. This is the time period during which induction of labor would occur if intervening, not abortion.
For further education on key terms, click here to read ACOG's Guide to Language and Abortion.
If Harris is elected president, will Roe be reinstated?
In order to codify abortion access into federal law, Harris would need a Democratic majority in both the House and the Senate. If elected, that scenario is unlikely to occur in her first two years as President. For more information on actions Harris could take even with a divided Congress, read this article.