Since the Supreme Court’s ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson and the consequential overturning of Roe v. Wade, the corporate media has spewed misinformation about abortion and what a post-Roe world means for Americans, creating panic and chaos throughout the country. To combat this, pro-life OB-GYNs have launched a campaign to debunk those lies and voice the truth about abortion and women’s health.
The American Association of Pro-Life Obstetricians and Gynecologists (AAPLOG) has released “Myth vs. Fact: Correcting Misinformation on Maternal Medical Care,” which busts pro-abortion myths and provides clarity after Dobbs. Here’s what you need to know.
Myth #1: Abortion Is Health Care
Despite this misinformation being pushed by both the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and NPR, AAPLOG explains why it’s not true. The ACOG has an extreme view on abortion in comparison to “the vast majority of OB/GYNs in the country” and has “actively opposed doctors who do not agree with the group’s radical positions.”
In fact, ACOG does not support giving patients ultrasounds, “which are critical for providing informed consent to a patient” prior to abortions. It also does not favor restrictions on partial-birth abortions and rarely asks its members how they view abortion overall.
Myth #2: Abortion Restrictions Interfere with the Doctor-Patient Relationship
Despite this common pro-abortion talking point, which is perpetuated by the American Medical Association, the AAPLOG points out that prior to the lethal procedure, there is often no relationship between mothers and abortionists, who “tend to leave the medical care afterwards to other physicians who either have a prior relationship with the patient or who work in her local emergency room.”
“It is not an intrusion on the doctor/patient relationship to protect the lives of BOTH of our patients,” the pro-life group added.
Myth #3: Abortion Is Sometimes Necessary to Save the Mother’s Life
Despite this narrative rearing its head in the media — with NPR, Reuters, and other outlets claiming that in order for women to live, they must be allowed to kill their unborn children — the OB-GYNs explain why this just isn’t true.
While unborn lives are sometimes tragically lost due to life-threatening medical complications, the unintentional death of an unborn baby in the course of saving a mother’s life is not abortion, since abortion is the intentional killing of a child. In fact, as AAPLOG notes, “93% of practicing OB/GYNs do not perform elective abortions but have always been able to offer life-saving treatment to women and will continue to be able to do so regardless of state laws on abortion” and “OB/GYNs are trained to discern when they need to intervene to save a mother’s life.”
“Elective abortion is not lifesaving medical care,” AAPLOG said. “OB/GYNs will still be able to offer lifesaving medical care to pregnant women. No laws on elective abortion will impact that.”
Myth #4: Women with Ectopic Pregnancies or Miscarriages Won’t Get Proper Care
As AAPLOG notes, elective abortions are completely different from miscarriages and ectopic pregnancies. In the case of a miscarriage, “the baby has already died and therefore any treatment of a miscarriage would not be an abortion.”
Treating ectopic pregnancy involves removing an embryo that has implanted outside the uterus and thus cannot survive. “This life-saving treatment is not prevented by any current law restricting or banning abortion,” AAPLOG explains.
Myth #5: Maternal Mortality Rates Will Increase Post–Dobbs
Although NBC News, The Guardian, and ACOG have all spread this misinformation to elevate their pro-abortion talking points, it becomes clear when examining data that abortion restrictions do not lead to increased maternal mortality. The AAPLOG highlights that the United States has one of the highest maternal mortality rates despite having Roe in place for almost 50 years.
As AAPLOG says, “studies from a diverse range of countries suggest that abortion is actually associated with higher maternal mortality rates and restrictions may lead to improved maternal health.” The pro-life group of OB-GYNS also cites data showing that “abortion is associated with 49.5 maternal deaths per 100,000 women compared to a rate of only 8.1 per 100,000 for all external causes of death after delivery.”
Myth #6: Abortion Restrictions Will Hurt Women’s Care
To combat this myth that The Texas Tribune and Bloomberg have peddled, AAPLOG explains that pro-life provisions such as “ultrasound requirements, hospital privileges, and waiting periods” actually help keep women safe and ensure they receive the best care.
“For example, ultrasounds help verify the gestational age, which is critical to accurately assessing the risks associated with an abortion,” AAPLOG explains. “The further along in the pregnancy a woman is, the greater risk she faces from an abortion. There is no way to provide accurate informed consent for a woman if the gestational age of her pregnancy is not certain.”
Myth #7: Abortion Does Not Affect the Mother’s Long-Term Reproductive Health
AAPLOG successfully debunks this misinformation spread by The New York Times and Planned Parenthood by pointing out that “the Institute of Medicine lists surgical abortion as an immutable risk factor for preterm birth.” Additionally, mothers who deliver their babies preterm “are at a higher risk of medical complications later in life including cardiovascular disease and stroke.”
“Women face a 35% increased risk of preterm birth in a future pregnancy after one surgical abortion and an almost 90% increase in preterm birth risk after two abortions,” AAPLOG writes.
Myth #8: Chemical Abortions Are Safe for Women
Because in-person visits with doctors are not required to have a chemical abortion, doctors are unable “to determine how far along the pregnancy is or rule out a dangerous ectopic pregnancy.” Additionally, symptoms of chemical abortion are similar to a “rupturing ectopic pregnancy.” As AAPLOG notes, “if this causes a delay in diagnosis of even a few hours, it can be catastrophic.”
Myth #9: Abortion Restrictions Will Harm Women’s Mental Health
Despite this myth being pushed by USA Today, AAPLOG has pointed to facts illustrating that the opposite is true.
“From 1993 to 2018, there were at least 75 studies examining the link between abortion and mental health,” AAPLOG stated. “Two-thirds of those studies showed a correlation between abortion and adverse mental health outcomes.” Furthermore, the suicide rate for post-abortive mothers is up to seven times higher than those who were still pregnant or had given birth, according to a study from Finland.
