Ectopic Pregnancy Deaths Have Nearly Doubled Since Roe Was Overturned

It’s worse in states with abortion bans

Women are dying from ectopic pregnancies. And these deaths are entirely preventable.

A ProPublica analysis of CDC data found that nearly 200 women died after an ectopic pregnancy between 2020 and 2025, a sharp increase from around 100 deaths in the previous six years.

The increase occurred nationwide, but death rates are significantly higher in states with strict abortion bans.

An ectopic pregnancy occurs in the first trimester, when a pregnancy implants outside the uterus, most commonly in a fallopian tube. As it grows, it can cause the tube to rupture, leading to internal bleeding.

An ectopic pregnancy is almost never viable and must be treated by ending the pregnancy to protect the patient’s life.

With speedy medical care, women should not be dying from this. But abortion bans may be making treatment more difficult to obtain.

Even though most bans include exceptions for ectopic pregnancies, many doctors are hesitating or flat-out refusing to provide care in states where they can face criminal penalties for performing an abortion.

But waiting for a definite diagnosis can take days or even weeks. And every day a woman goes without treatment, her risk of rupture increases.

“A death related to ectopic pregnancy should really be a never event,” said Dr. Alice Abernathy, an OB-GYN in Philadelphia.

Women are dying preventable deaths. Yet there’s been no meaningful public response to this alarming increase. Instead, the federal government, the same one that champions the phrase, ‘Make America Healthy Again,’ is cutting maternal health staff and funding.

At Red Wine & Blue, we know that abortion bans are actively harming our reproductive healthcare. That’s why we’re fighting for our reproductive rights at every level, and we want you in the fight with us.