Misinformation on Georgia women's deaths and abortion restrictions
The media coverage of two tragic deaths in Georgia continues to perpetuate a dangerous and blatantly false narrative that threatens women's safety. As someone deeply concerned about women's health, I must address the alarming spread of misinformation surrounding these cases.
The deaths of Amber Nicole Thurman and Candi Miller were not, as it continues to be misreported in other Pennsylvania media outlets, the result of abortion restrictions. Rather, these heartbreaking losses occurred because these women used dangerous abortion drugs without proper medical supervision — a practice that puts women at risk regardless of state laws.
The facts are sobering: According to FDA data, approximately one in 25 women who use abortion drugs require emergency room care. In Pennsylvania alone, complications from abortion have tripled in the last five years, with chemical abortions now accounting for over 55% of all abortions — more than 19,000 in 2022. Many of these pills are being prescribed via telemedicine without proper medical exams or ultrasounds to verify pregnancy status and risks.
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Yet instead of highlighting these dangers, many media outlets have chosen to weaponize these tragedies to attack pro-life legislation. This narrative isn't just misleading — it's dangerous. For 16 years, from 2000 to 2016, the FDA maintained strict safety standards that it once argued were necessary for the ‘safe’ use of these drugs. These included mandatory in-person visits and two follow-up appointments to monitor for serious complications.
The consequences of removing these vital safety measures are stark: in Pennsylvania, nearly half of reported complications in 2022 stemmed from chemical abortions, with retained fetal tissue, bleeding and infections being the most common problems. Pro-abortion advocates deliberately downplay these risks by misleadingly labeling basic safety protocols as “restrictions,” even as data shows a 300% increase in hospitalizations when in-person visits were eliminated.
Georgia's LIFE Act, like every pro-life law across our nation, explicitly protects doctors' ability to provide care in all medical emergencies. The law neither prevents physicians from treating abortion complications nor prosecutes women who obtain abortions. Women and girls across the country have suffered serious complications including severe bleeding, infections, and sepsis because the FDA stopped requiring doctors to provide vital in-person exams. The FDA and their media allies seem more interested in pushing abortion drugs than protecting women's health and safety.
The real threat to women's health comes from pro-abortion activists masquerading as journalists who spread misinformation for political gain. Their tactics frighten vulnerable women away from seeking necessary medical care — the very people they claim to protect. Tragically, this deception can have fatal consequences. Pro-abortion forces appear more concerned with protecting industry profits, than with the health and well-being of women and girls. If the media did its job, they would investigate and hold the FDA accountable to its mission of protecting women's health and would report honestly about the harm caused by abortion drugs.
These deaths underscore the critical need for ethical journalism regarding women's healthcare. Rather than exploiting tragedies to advance political agendas, we must focus on providing women accurate information that values both maternal and child health.
Had the FDA maintained its original safety protocols, including ongoing care requirements, many tragedies might have been prevented. By continuing to spread misinformation about these deaths, news outlets put countless other women at risk.
Lauren Hackett is Legal Counsel with the Independence Law Center at the PA Family Institute, where she specializes in First Amendment rights, religious liberty, and pro-life issues. Lauren previously worked in public service as an assistant district attorney and public defender, where she currently lives in Western Pennsylvania.
