Do More Women Die Where Pro-Life Laws Are Passed? What A Study Shows

(ZENIT News / Los Angeles 05. 21.2026) – On April 3, 2026, JAMA Network Open published a study that debunks the myth that abortion laws reduce maternal mortality and the accusation that pro-life people only defend the rights of the unborn and «harm» women.

JAMA Network is a monthly, open-access medical journal published by the American Medical Association, founded in 2018, which covers all aspects of biomedical sciences. Its recent study exposes the unfounded claims that defend abortion by arguing that it reduces maternal mortality. The myth collapses, although this is not the first time evidence has emerged: On July 11, 2025, the Unione Cristiana di Cattolici Razonali (UCCR) presented data on pro-life laws and the decline in abortions following the landmark 2022 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that denied the «right to abortion» but granted individual States discretion, a decision that reduced abortions and maternal mortality.

Data shows that the ban on abortion after the detection of a fetal heartbeat, which occurs about six weeks after conception, reduced the number of abortions in Iowa by 40% since July 29, 2024. A similar situation occurred in Indiana, with a 98% decrease in abortions.

In Texas, another finding emerged: the State’s fertility rate increased from 2% to 8% since the introduction of the fetal heartbeat law in 2022.

There is, therefore, no deterioration in women’s health with laws that promote abortion, nor a reduction in the number of abortions to justify the claim that women travel to other States for abortions.

The analysis by JAMA Network Open examined 22 million births and 12,000 pregnancy-related deaths in the United States between 2018 and 2023 after the introduction of pro-abortion laws, which are very restrictive in many States. Even in a short follow-up period, there was no significant increase in the 14 States where the strict ban on abortions was passed.

More relevant were the data on the decrease in maternal mortality in States with lax legislation and in those with pro-life laws. In some States with stricter regulations, reductions equal to or greater than the national average were observed.

For example, the introduction of the so-called «Unexpected Heartbeat Law» reduced the maternal mortality rate in Texas by 2.4%. Other States with similar laws saw a decrease of 3.3%.

In general, the trends in pro-life States show a slightly faster decline than in States with readily available abortion. Data is available, although the authors caution that establishing a direct causal relationship in all cases is premature. However, the myth that abortions reduce maternal mortality is false.