A recent analysis of federal public health data has uncovered a dramatic increase in maternal mortality in Texas, correlating closely with the state’s 2021 abortion ban. The rise in deaths among pregnant women in Texas has far exceeded the national average, suggesting a significant impact of the legislation, according to a report by the Gender Equity Policy Institute (GEPI).
Between 2019 and 2022, the maternal mortality rate in Texas surged by 56%, in stark contrast to an 11% increase nationwide over the same period. This analysis, conducted by the nonprofit research group using data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), was exclusively shared with NBC News.
Nancy L. Cohen, president of GEPI, attributed the spike in maternal deaths directly to the Texas abortion ban. “There’s only one explanation for this staggering difference in maternal mortality,” Cohen asserted. “All the research points to Texas’ abortion ban as the primary driver of this alarming increase.”
The legislation, known as Senate Bill 8 (SB 8), was enacted in September 2021, imposing severe restrictions on abortion as early as five weeks into pregnancy. This occurred nearly a year before the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, which had previously upheld federal abortion rights. Texas Governor Greg Abbott, a Republican, endorsed the bill as a measure to “ensure the life of every unborn child.” Under the current law, abortions are permitted only to save the life of the mother.
The GEPI’s findings reveal a marked and rapid increase in maternal deaths across all racial groups in Texas following the enactment of SB 8. The rate of maternal deaths among Hispanic women rose from 14.5 per 100,000 live births in 2019 to 18.9 in 2022. For white women, the rate nearly doubled, increasing from 20 per 100,000 to 39.1. Black women, who historically experience higher maternal mortality rates, saw their figures climb from 31.6 to 43.6 per 100,000 live births.
The Gender Equity Policy Institute’s report highlights that while maternal mortality rates overall spiked during the pandemic, the increase in Texas was notably consistent and significant following the abortion ban.
Cohen noted, “If you deny women abortions, more women are going to be pregnant, and more women are going to be forced to carry a pregnancy to term.”
In addition to the immediate risks associated with pregnancy and childbirth, there is growing concern that stringent abortion laws contribute to decreased access to prenatal care and obstetric services. Dr. Leah Tatum, an Austin-based OB-GYN not involved with the GEPI study, reported a surge in patient requests for sterilization procedures, indicating heightened fear among women about unintended pregnancies due to the new restrictions.
“Fear is something I’d never seen in practice prior to Senate Bill 8,” Tatum explained. “Patients feel like they’re backed into a corner. If they already knew that they didn’t want to pursue pregnancy, now they’re terrified.”
The dramatic increase in maternal deaths in Texas following the abortion ban underscores the broader implications of restrictive abortion laws on women’s health and safety, raising urgent questions about the impact of such legislation on maternal mortality rates nationwide.
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