“There’s only one explanation for this staggering difference in maternal mortality,” said Nancy L. Cohen, president of the GEPI. “All the research points to Texas’ abortion ban as the primary driver of this alarming increase.”“Texas, I fear, is a harbinger of what’s to come in other states,” she said. Among Hispanic women, the rate of women dying while pregnant, during childbirth or soon after increased from 14.5% in 2019 to 18.9% in 2022. While maternal mortality spiked overall during the pandemic, women dying while pregnant or during childbirth rose consistently in Texas following the state’s ban on abortion, according to the Gender Equity Policy Institute. Tatum, who was not involved with the GEPI study, said that requests for sterilization procedures among her patients doubled after the state’s abortion ban.

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Persons: “, ”, Nancy L, Cohen, Roe, Wade —, Greg Abbott, Bill, ” Cohen, I’d, Leah Tatum, Tatum, ” Tatum, wouldn’t, ‘, Kaitlyn Kash, Kash, “ It’d, Cory, ” Kash, ” “ It’s Organizations: Gender Equity, Institute, Centers for Disease Control, NBC News, U.S, Supreme, Texas Gov, Republican, OB, GYN, NBC Locations: Texas, “ Texas, ” Texas, Austin , Texas, Kansas