(PLAM) Recently, the CDC released a report pointing to a 17% decrease in maternal mortality from 2022-2023. This is encouraging news, yet you probably haven’t heard anything about it in the mainstream news. The overall bias of the widely known news sources such as Yahoo!, the AP, PBS, and CBS News could not be more obvious. In their reporting, all these news sources intentionally left out the decrease in overall maternal mortality rate, and instead focused on the marginal increase in maternal mortality rate among African American women.
Abortion advocates have tried to connect the idea that less abortion access has resulted in more African American women dying in childbirth. Yet, if abortion was in fact a tool to reduce maternal mortality for African American women, an increase in abortion would result in a decrease in maternal mortality, right? That is not what we see here. According to the CDC, African American women have the highest abortion rates in the country, undergoing abortion 4.3 times more frequently than white women. If abortion truly reduced maternal mortality, this group should have lower maternal deaths, not the highest rate (50.3 per 100,000 live births).
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As we already mentioned, abortion advocates and their supporting news outlets have decried increased maternal mortality as a byproduct of the Dobbs decision. However, they have been selective on how this is reported. It is ironic that they are silent now about the overall decrease in maternal mortality in the first full year following the decision. This is notable because the U.S. experienced an increase in abortions in 2023. Why are mainstream media outlets now holding back from correlating a rise in abortions with the decrease in maternal mortality?
It is possible that they have caught on to the fact that the data is very inconsistent when it comes to abortion and maternal mortality, and therefore unreliable. For example, in Texas, maternal mortality fell by 13% after implementing strict pro-life laws in 2022. Outside of the United States, countries with abortion restrictions such as El Salvador, Poland and Nicaragua have all seen maternal mortality improve since implementing abortion restricting policies.
In contrast, South Africa saw maternal mortality increase after legalizing abortion.
Maternal mortality is not the only side effect of abortion. Sadly, approximately 10% of women undergoing induced abortion suffer from immediate complications. Of that group, one-fifth (2%) were considered major complications. Major complications can include: infection, excessive bleeding, embolism, ripping or perforation of the uterus, anesthesia complications, convulsions, cervical injury, and endotoxic shock. In addition, women who had one abortion faced a 2.3 times higher risk of cervical cancer, and those with 2+ abortions had a 4.92 times higher risk. Women who undergo induced abortions are also more likely to experience reproductive system damage, including uterine perforation, cervical lacerations and placenta previa. This is not even including the psychological toll abortion has on women.
Tweet This: Maternal mortality is not the only side effect of abortion. Approx. 10% of women undergoing induced abortion have immediate complications.
Did you know?
Women who had abortions were 160% more likely than delivering women to be hospitalized for psychiatric treatment in the first 90 days following abortion or delivery. These women remain at higher risk for at least 4 years. Not only that, but 60% of post-abortive women reported suicidal thoughts, and 28% attempted suicide (half of them multiple times). Increased substance abuse, eating disorders, drug and alcohol abuse, divorce and PTSD are all linked to abortion and point to the long-term consequences of the decision to abort a child. Worse yet, the risks compound when multiple abortions are at play.
You can learn more about the negative impact abortion has on women at AbortionRisks.org.
These statistics are staggering, but they should not surprise us. Abortion is evil, and it comes from Satan. Where Satan is working, there is death and destruction. This has been true since the beginning of time. When he tempted Eve in the Garden in Genesis 3, he lied to her first. After she took the fruit, death fell on every human for the rest of history. The abortion industry has been lying to women since its conception. The lies are that abortion will lead to a better life, more freedom, and happiness. However, statistics show us that women who abort their child are more likely to take their own life. First comes the lie, next comes death.
Thankfully, the Lord in His rich mercy did not leave us in our sin but instead sent His son Jesus to die and take our place. Romans 6:22 says, "But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life." True freedom comes through faith in Jesus, freeing us from sin and death!
At Pro-Life Action Ministries, when we reach out to women considering abortion outside of abortion facilities, we provide them with educational resources regarding their pregnancy as well as the Gospel message. This is because true hope does not come from dodging an abortion, but from Christ. We believe in the power of God and His ability to change hearts. Policy changes are important, but a change of heart is how abortion is truly eradicated in our society. We ask that you pray for our ministry and the women we encounter. Please pray for their salvation and that they choose life for their child. If, tragically, they end up aborting their child, we offer them several post-abortion healing resources, such as Rachel’s Vineyard.
Editor's note: This article was published by Pro-Life Action Ministries, St. Paul, Minn. and is reprinted with permission. Additional abortion recovery resources are available HERE.
