Nearly 124,000 insured U.S. patients with first-trimester miscarriages showed lower use of medication treatment in states with abortion bans after Dobbs, according to a JAMA study published May 18.
Compared with states without bans, ban states were associated with a 2.2 percentage-point drop in medication management and a 2.8-point rise in expectant management from July 2022 to September 2024.
Among patients who did receive medication, ban states saw a 13.8-point increase in use of misoprostol alone rather than the more effective mifepristone-misoprostol regimen.
The study examined 14 states with bans at six weeks or earlier after the Supreme Court's 2022 Dobbs ruling; researchers and outside OB-GYNs said the laws are spilling into miscarriage care because abortion and miscarriage treatment use the same drugs and procedures.
Miscarriage affects about 1 million U.S. women each year, and clinicians warned that reduced access to preferred or evidence-based treatment can add physical complications and psychological harm.
Beyond legal battles, what practical solutions can protect miscarriage care from the fallout of abortion restrictions?
When medical standards clash with state law, what is the future of evidence-based healthcare for American women?
Abortion Bans and Miscarriage Care: Data Reveal Rising Delays, Complications, and Deaths in Restrictive States
Overview
The overturning of Roe v. Wade and the enactment of state-level abortion bans have profoundly changed miscarriage care in the United States, creating an immediate crisis with serious clinical consequences. Because miscarriage management often uses the same methods as abortion, these bans have led to unintended and dangerous side effects. After abortion trigger bans took effect in July 2022, there was a measurable increase in expectant management and a decrease in medication management for miscarriage. This shift means more patients are left waiting for their bodies to resolve miscarriages naturally, often facing delays and greater health risks.