10/09/2026
ProPublica’s analysis of CDC data found that nearly 200 women d*ed after ectopic pregnancies from 2020 to 2025, roughly double the number recorded in the previous six years.
‘A death related to ectopic pregnancy should really be a never event,’ Dr. Alice Abernathy, an OB-GYN in PA, told the publication. The rise has been substantially steeper in states with strict ab*rtion bans, especially after the fall of Roe in 2022. Experts caution that the bans alone cannot explain the increase, but say documented delays in ectopic care make them an important factor to investigate.
An ectopic pregnancy happens when a fertilized egg implants somewhere outside the uterus, most often in a fallopian tube, instead of where a pregnancy can safely develop.
As the pregnancy grows, it can cause the tube to rupture and lead to severe internal bleeding. It is a potentially life-threatening emergency, but prompt diagnosis and treatment can prevent serious complications and death.
Despite many abortion bans explicitly exempting ectopic pregnancies, doctors say uncertainty over whether an early pregnancy is ectopic can lead to delays as they wait for definitive evidence.
That can create a dangerous window as they wait for the patient’s condition to become more obviously life-threatening before intervening. Doctors have told ProPublica that they worry about criminal prosecution, losing their medical licenses, or being left without legal support from their hospitals.