All bans restricting abortion based on gestation are unjust; these arbitrary limits can make abortion inaccessible, leaving pregnant people’s reproductive autonomy dependent on their state of residence. But six-week abortion bans are especially pernicious because they prohibit abortion before many people know they are pregnant. Uncovering information on the timing of pregnancy recognition is vital to understanding the harmful effects of abortion bans based on gestation and who is most affected by them.
It has never been clearer that pregnancy criminalization leads directly to increased maternal mortality—that means more pregnant people dying because they cannot access or receive needed, lifesaving reproductive health care.
Beyond misleading gestation limitations and politicized fetal personhood laws, people seeking abortions are also tracked and criminalized through the use of
Travel bans
Surveillance
Providers compromising patient privacy to report
Substance abuse laws
Noteworthy Cases in GA:
Amber Nicole Thurman died a preventable death due to the criminalization of D&C procedure in Georgia, 2022*
Candi Miller died a preventable death due to the criminalization of D&C procedure in Georgia, 2022*
*Note: The availability of D&Cs helped save lives after the 1973 Supreme Court ruling in Roe v. Wade, studies show, reducing the rate of maternal deaths for women of color by up to 40% the first year after abortion became legal.
pregnancy loss: abortion
Abortion restrictions—or the criminalization of accessing or providing reproductive health care including abortion—threaten the health and dignity of all pregnant patients. These laws have a chilling effect on how care is provided, including but not limited to abortion. Taking care of one’s health should never put you at risk of arrest or prosecution.
Abortion bans delay, deny, and distort care. Georgians are being pushed into crisis after crisis, especially Black pregnant people and others who already face healthcare disparities. This is routine—and it must stop.
No one should be criminalized for pregnancy loss whether it is miscarriage, still birth, or abortion. Around 1 in 4 pregnancies end in loss. Pregnant people who experience pregnancy loss deserve compassion and care not punishment.
In June 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, opening the door for states to ban abortion outright.
Abortion is currently criminalized in Georgia, with wide-reaching impacts for all pregnant people. On October 7, 2024, the Supreme Court of Georgia issued a ruling staying a trial court decision striking down House Bill 481, a ban on abortion after approximately six weeks of pregnancy. Since going into effect two years ago, H.B. 481 has denied Georgians the freedom to make personal medical decisions during pregnancy and forced patients into life-threatening situations.
Statement from Monica Simpson, Executive Director, SisterSong
“Today, the Georgia Supreme Court sided with anti-abortion extremists. Every minute this harmful six-week abortion ban is in place, Georgians suffer. Denying our community members the lifesaving care they deserve jeopardizes their lives, safety, and health—all for the sake of power and control over our bodies. This decision is unconscionable, especially after the loss of Amber Nicole Thurman and Candi Miller, two Black women who would be here today had this ban not been in place. For years, Black women have sounded the alarm about the dangers of abortion bans. With these devastating losses, extremists can no longer deny this fatal reality. This ban is rooted in white supremacy and intensifies an already dire situation in Georgia, where Black women are more than twice as likely to die from pregnancy complications compared to white women, largely due to the absence of Medicaid expansion, a shortage of OBGYNs and a healthcare system rife with inequities since its founding. Despite all evidence that this ban is killing us, the Court sided with those more interested in limiting our access to care than seeing us live and thrive. The right to bodily autonomy transcends partisanship; it’s a human right that every Georgian deserves. We still believe in a Georgia where we all have the right to decide whether or not to have children and raise those children in safe, sustainable communities. The only way to get there is to trust those impacted the most–Black women. We’ve been the backbone and blueprint of the Reproductive Justice movement for decades. Now, we need everyone to turn their pain into action and vote with these issues in mind this November.”