Key Takeaways:
– Most pregnancy-related deaths are preventable irrespective of abortion laws.
– The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that four in five maternal deaths are preventable.
– The leading cause of these deaths at 23% is mental health conditions (including suicides and overdoses/poisoning related to substance abuse), followed by excessive bleeding, cardiac conditions, and infection.
– Pro-abortion media platforms have built a false narrative that pro-life laws contribute to maternal mortality.
– Preventable maternal deaths occur across all states, including those with pro-abortion laws.
Understanding the Real Story Behind Preventable Maternal Deaths
An ongoing narrative by pro-abortion media organizations has focused on the sensationalization of preventable pregnancy-related deaths. They have chosen to spotlight selective individual cases from states with pro-life laws, fostering a divisive narrative. It’s crucial, however, to make one thing clear: irrespective of the state’s abortion laws, most pregnancy-related deaths are categorized as preventable.
Breaking Down the Facts
According to the CDC, around 80% of all maternal deaths in the U.S are preventable. This percentage holds even in states that are pro-abortion. Therefore, these shocking figures should not be used to create a false narrative that pro-life laws endanger women. Rather, the focus should be on increasing awareness and taking steps to reduce the number of deaths.
The leading cause of pregnancy-related deaths, accounting for 23%, is linked to mental health conditions, including suicides and overdoses. Yet, this is a cause often sidestepped by pro-abortion media, as their objective appears to be aimed at challenging pro-life laws rather than preventing more maternal deaths.
Maternal Deaths and Abortion Laws: Critical Analysis
Cases like Amber Thurman, Candi Miller, Porsha Ngumezi, Josseli Barnica, and Nevaeh Crain, who died from losses deemed preventable in pro-life states, have pushed the spotlight to these regions. However, attributing these deaths to pro-life laws is a misguided claim. There is no proof linking the legality of abortion in Georgia or Texas to the unfortunate passing of these women.
Desperate to Draw a Connection: The ProPublica Approach
ProPublica has been instrumental in crafting this narrative by giving the impression that healthcare professionals are incapable of discerning the boundaries of state laws surrounding abortion. However, it’s vital to question this portrayal. Could the motive be to evoke emotional responses that could potentially sway opinions about induced abortion?
Matching Pro-Life and Pro-Abortion States: A Tale of Two Comparisons
The reality is that preventable pregnancy-related deaths occur across all states, whether they have pro-life or pro-abortion laws. A striking example is the comparison between Georgia and Illinois. Both states, one pro-life and the other pro-abortion, saw an equal number of maternal deaths between 2018 and 2020: 113. However, the percentage of preventable deaths in Illinois was slightly higher.
Does Legal Abortion Equal Fewer Maternal Deaths?
An interesting trend to note is that the number of women dying from pregnancy-related causes in the U.S has more than doubled between 1999 and 2019, despite the legality of abortion during this period. This staggering statistic suggests that there is more to preventing maternal deaths than merely legalizing abortions.
Ignoring “Preventable” Deaths in Pro-Abortion States
A commonly overlooked fact is that preventable pregnancy-related deaths occur even in pro-abortion states. With states like Illinois, New York, New Jersey, and California registering high percentages of preventable maternal deaths, it’s clear that this is a nationwide issue that goes beyond the pro-life versus pro-abortion debate.
Conclusion
The preventable nature of most maternal deaths is a reflection of the challenges in healthcare rather than a consequence of pro-life laws. The narrative might have been shaped by the media to point fingers at pro-life laws, but the data tells a different story. The quest for truth and justice shouldn’t be a tool for manipulation and scare tactics but an instrument for change. Addressing the broader issue of health care for pregnant women requires sober assessment and targeted intervention. It is high time that the focus shifted from political battles to safeguarding the health and lives of expectant mothers.