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Dear Friend,
Outrage! Pure unadulterated outrage. The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, which stripped away our federal right to bodily autonomy, and to making healthcare decisions that are best for our family, is beyond rage-inducing. The fact that this power is now with the states – and that over a dozen states have banned or nearly banned all abortions – is outrageous. To make matters worse - the United States is already the most dangerous place to give birth among industrialized nations.
How are these connected? Data analyses have shown that states with the strictest abortion bans have the worst maternal and infant outcomes.[1] It is unacceptable that in the most prosperous country in the world we should be experiencing these twin crises.[2]
Here’s the deal: In the United States, women are more likely to die from pregnancy-related complications than women in Kuwait, Poland, and Kazakhstan.[3] Meanwhile, our reproductive freedoms are being eroded, forcing many people to remain pregnant against their will. Over the last two decades reproductive rights have been systematically stripped away. Outrageously, during that same period, the U.S. is the only industrialized nation to see an increase in maternal mortality.[4] The fact is, this is not an “either or” issue: we need both access to full reproductive healthcare and better maternal health outcomes.
These outcomes are unacceptable, particularly for Black women who suffer the most due to widespread inequities and racism throughout the healthcare system.[5] It is critical that Congress move to protect our reproductive rights and pass the Black Maternal Health Momnibus Act, a comprehensive package of bills that will:
Twenty-five million women and birthing people are impacted by the U.S. Supreme Court decision that reversed Roe v Wade. Those people live in states like Arkansas, Kentucky, and Alabama, that also have the HIGHEST maternal death rates in the nation.[6] Forced pregnancy puts millions of women at grave risk.
Most women who have abortions are already moms. Being able to manage how many children we have does more than give us agency over our bodies. It helps improve our health and build our economic and political power. It’s fundamental to our success.
All birthing people deserve full reproductive health rights and positive birth outcomes. It’s critical that we raise our voices to say that these twin crises are literally taking the lives of moms and destroying our bodily autonomy!
Together we can, and must, do better for moms, babies, families and our communities.
- Gina, Tina, Monifa, and the whole MomsRising.org & MamásConPoder Team
P.S. Did you recently give birth? Please share your postpartum experience with us?
References:
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