Georgia's Restrictive Abortion Laws Delay Life-Saving Miscarriage Care

A 34-year-old geneticist named Avery Davis Bell lost the baby she wanted at the beginning of October. Bell was hospitalized in Georgia after several episodes of heavy bleeding. She and her doctors knew what care she needed to handle her miscarriage and keep her from getting an infection. But Georgia's strict abortion rules made it take longer to get immediate care.

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Because of these rules, doctors are limited in how they can handle miscarriages, which usually involve the same steps as abortions. In Bell's case, the abortion limit in Georgia was six weeks, but she was already 18 weeks pregnant, which is too early for the fetus to be viable but too late for an abortion in Georgia. In states with less strict laws, doctors could move quickly, but Bell's treatment had to be put off.

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Georgia law says that abortions can only happen in emergencies. If not, there is a 24-hour waiting time. Bell was told she would have to wait unless her health got much worse. The delay made the actual effects of the 2022 Dobbs case stand out. That decision took away federal protection for abortion and gave states more control over regulations.

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A lot of losses end on their own at home, but when they need medical help, they are treated in ways that are similar to abortion. In Bell's case, the wait made it more likely that she would get an infection or have other problems.

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More and more cases like Bell's are happening in states that entirely or almost completely ban abortion. This makes people worry about how rigid laws make it harder for women with complicated pregnancies to get the care they need when they need it and raise their health risks.

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