Researchers at Pregnancy Justice say that prosecutors in 16 states have charged over 412 people with crimes related to pregnancy. Most of these serious charges came from states that have almost no or no abortion access. These charges started coming more often after the Supreme Court ended Roe v. Wade in 2022, and the real number may be even higher.
Dana Sussman, the senior vice president of Pregnancy Justice, said, “Without looking at every county, that number is very worrying.
It should worry everyone.”
Most of these cases happened in the South and focused on women who are poor.
Thirty-one of the cases involved a stillbirth or a miscarriage. As usual, Republican policies hurt the most vulnerable people the most.
Many of the cases in the report targeted women who are struggling with drug use.
Instead of helping these women, prosecutors brought charges of child abuse, neglect, or endangerment. In 65% of the cases, the only wrongdoing claimed was related to drug use.
Pregnancy Justice explained that the laws used to charge these women were meant to protect children, not unborn babies.
Sussman said, “That is the main aim of the anti-abortion movement.
It wasn’t just about ending Roe v. Wade. It’s about making embryos and fetuses have full rights and personhood.”
This shows a clear misogynistic plan.
If Republicans truly wanted to help these women, they would offer healthcare and recovery support. But instead, they use the law to harm women for fun.
Melinda Johnson, who was charged with chemical endangerment and other drug-related crimes, said, “It’s not fair for us to face these charges when we’re going through a tough time with addiction.”
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists opposes punishing pregnant women for using drugs and supports a better, more caring approach.
The organization said, “Drug policies that stop women from getting prenatal care are harmful to both the mother and the baby.”
Sussman added, “This is everything we fight against: blaming pregnant people for not being perfect, accusing them of failing, using false or bad science to create fear, and increasing police control to punish people when they don’t meet impossible standards.”
The only solution is for Congress to protect abortion rights nationally once Democrats regain control of the House, Senate, and White House.
It’s up to all of us to support that effort.
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