Health Consequences of Racial Disparity in Access to Abortion
Abstract
Prior to the 2022 Dobbs decision, Black women were already experiencing disproportionately negative maternal health outcomes compared to White women. With the Dobbs decision granting states more power to enforce abortion restrictions or protections, divergent paths have emerged. While some states have codified abortion into their state constitutions, others have enacted total bans with minimal exceptions. Pre-Dobbs maternal mortality rates suggest that while legality ensures the right to abortion, legality alone does not guarantee access to abortion. Instates where reproductive rights have been eroded, the heightened restrictions are likely to exacerbate the limited access that Black women had prior to the Dobbs decision. Consequently, further reductions in abortion access are likely to exacerbate racial disparities in maternal health outcomes. However, research on the relationship between the lack of access to abortion and negative health outcomes is mixed. These mixed findings underscore the complexity of the relationship between restricting abortion access and adverse health outcomes and highlight the need to provide a synthesis of the evidence of any disparate outcomes of this relationship. To the best of our knowledge, no systematic literature review has been conducted to understand the cumulative effect of abortion restriction on maternal health outcomes or even the attendant racial disparities. Such an understanding is crucial for informing policies and interventions aimed at safeguarding reproductive rights and mitigating maternal health disparities.
Using a systematic review of the literature, this study set out to investigate whether, how, and why Black women disproportionately experience negative health consequences resulting from lack of access to abortion relative to their white counterparts. A majority of the studies included in our review show that Black women experienced relatively higher rates of maternal mortality and morbidity than White women when access to abortion is restricted. These findings underscore the urgent need to address systematic barriers that impede Black women’s reproductive health access. Our systematic review consolidates existing empirical data on this critical issue, offering scholars, policymakers, and the broader public a comprehensive understanding of the complexities involved in the relationship between abortion access and racial disparities in maternal health outcomes. By synthesizing this research, our study provides the empirical evidence to inform evidence-based decision-making and advocacy efforts aimed at promoting reproductive justice and mitigating health disparities among marginalized communities.
Keywords
Reproductive Justice, Racial Disparities, Maternal Health, Abortion Laws, Systematic Review
Health Consequences of Racial Disparity in Access to Abortion
CASB 108
Prior to the 2022 Dobbs decision, Black women were already experiencing disproportionately negative maternal health outcomes compared to White women. With the Dobbs decision granting states more power to enforce abortion restrictions or protections, divergent paths have emerged. While some states have codified abortion into their state constitutions, others have enacted total bans with minimal exceptions. Pre-Dobbs maternal mortality rates suggest that while legality ensures the right to abortion, legality alone does not guarantee access to abortion. Instates where reproductive rights have been eroded, the heightened restrictions are likely to exacerbate the limited access that Black women had prior to the Dobbs decision. Consequently, further reductions in abortion access are likely to exacerbate racial disparities in maternal health outcomes. However, research on the relationship between the lack of access to abortion and negative health outcomes is mixed. These mixed findings underscore the complexity of the relationship between restricting abortion access and adverse health outcomes and highlight the need to provide a synthesis of the evidence of any disparate outcomes of this relationship. To the best of our knowledge, no systematic literature review has been conducted to understand the cumulative effect of abortion restriction on maternal health outcomes or even the attendant racial disparities. Such an understanding is crucial for informing policies and interventions aimed at safeguarding reproductive rights and mitigating maternal health disparities.
Using a systematic review of the literature, this study set out to investigate whether, how, and why Black women disproportionately experience negative health consequences resulting from lack of access to abortion relative to their white counterparts. A majority of the studies included in our review show that Black women experienced relatively higher rates of maternal mortality and morbidity than White women when access to abortion is restricted. These findings underscore the urgent need to address systematic barriers that impede Black women’s reproductive health access. Our systematic review consolidates existing empirical data on this critical issue, offering scholars, policymakers, and the broader public a comprehensive understanding of the complexities involved in the relationship between abortion access and racial disparities in maternal health outcomes. By synthesizing this research, our study provides the empirical evidence to inform evidence-based decision-making and advocacy efforts aimed at promoting reproductive justice and mitigating health disparities among marginalized communities.