ProPublica recently claimed that maternal sepsis rates in Texas have surged due to Pro-Life laws, pushing the false narrative that stopping abortion harms women. However, data suggest otherwise—Pro-Life laws not only save babies but also protect women’s health.
Contrary to ProPublica’s report, maternal mortality in Texas has declined since Pro-Life protections took effect. The Gender Equity Policy Institute reported a 35% decrease in maternal mortality from 2021 to 2022, around the same time the Texas Heartbeat Act took effect. The CDC also found that the United States maternal mortality rate fell from 22.3 to 18.6 deaths per 100,000 live births from 2022 to 2023, following Roe v. Wade’s overturning. This suggests that maternal health is getting better, not worse, alongside Pro-Life protections.
Yet, ProPublica claims that sepsis rates in Texas are skyrocketing due to the state’s abortion bans. Sepsis is a life-threatening immune response to infection that can cause organ failure and death if untreated. However, key facts contradict ProPublica’s narrative:
- ProPublica reports a 50% increase in sepsis among women hospitalized for second-trimester pregnancy loss. However, overall hospitalizations for pregnancy loss actually declined by 9.3% after Pro-Life protections took effect in Texas.
- Texas records nearly 400,000 births annually, with sepsis occurring in only 1 in 14,000 pregnancies—a statistically rare occurrence that ProPublica overlooks.
- The publication bases its claims on a limited study from just three Houston hospitals, rather than comprehensive statewide data.
Texas Pro-Life laws do not prohibit medical intervention for miscarriage or ectopic pregnancy. They allow doctors to act when a mother’s life or major bodily functions are at risk—including in cases of sepsis.
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It’s crucial to note that when a baby has died naturally in their mother’s womb, the woman has experienced a miscarriage. Texas’ Pro-Life laws allow for medical intervention in cases of miscarriage or ectopic pregnancy. In a miscarriage, the baby dies naturally and must be removed from the mother’s womb due to possible risks of infection like sepsis. If there is a delay in treatment for these women, it is medical malpractice. The law is not at fault for a doctor acting negligently. ProPublica used the same tactic when sharing the tragic stories of Joselli Barnica and Naveah Crain.
Not a single Texas doctor has been prosecuted for providing legitimate emergency care. The Texas Medical Board has even stated that death does not have to be imminent for doctors to act.
Even more, in 2023, the Texas Legislature passed House Bill 3058 to reinforce that doctors and pharmacists can treat ectopic pregnancies and previable premature rupture of membranes (PPROM)—conditions often misrepresented by abortion activists as restricted under Pro-Life laws.
ProPublica’s data includes both natural miscarriages and “terminations,” yet fails to acknowledge the dangers of abortion pills. More than 19,000 abortion pills have entered Texas, despite carrying an FDA black box warning for sepsis. ProPublica itself reported that two Georgia women died from sepsis after taking abortion pills—yet instead of blaming the abortion drugs, they blamed the state’s Pro-Life laws. One in five women experience complications from abortion pills.
Even if sepsis rates had increased, correlation does not mean causation. ProPublica twists cases of medical malpractice and abortion pill complications to falsely blame Texas’ Pro-Life laws. They use fear and misinformation to push an abortion agenda while ignoring both maternal health and preborn lives.
Ending abortion saves babies from certain death, protects women from its risks, and can improve maternal health. We cannot let biased media weaken our commitment to defending innocent life.
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