Abortion bans will make pregnancies in the US even more dangerous

The rates could go up by 21% overall, and 33% for Black women

The US is by far the most dangerous rich country to give birth in. Abortion bans following the Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v Wade will make the situation even worse.

Maternal mortality (deaths occurring during or shortly after a pregnancy) dropped by half globally since the 1990s. But in the US, it went up dramatically, and as of 2020 there were officially 24 maternal deaths for 100,000 live births, or six times as many as there were in the late 1980s.

Research suggests that rate will rise even more as US states restrict abortion. A Duke University study estimates that maternal mortality would jump by more than 20% if abortion were denied across the US—and that doesn’t include mortality due to unsafe or attempted abortions. While half the states still allow abortion, more than a dozen have already banned it or will soon.

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