There are a million reasons why the 2024 presidential election is so critical. From immigration to climate change to gun control, there are many issues presidential candidates Kamala Harris and Donald Trump do not see eye to eye on. However, one of the most significant issues at the forefront of this election is reproductive rights. Harris has proposed a plan to protect abortion rights, while Trump refers to himself as the most “pro-life president” in history.
This issue arrives at a time in which women are gravely concerned about their access to medical care. At least two women in Georgia have died after they couldn’t access legal abortions and timely medical care in their state.
Who Was Amber Thurman?
According to a ProPublica report, Amber Thurman, a 28-year-old medical assistant and mother to her 6-year-old son, suffered a rare complication from taking abortion pills. She had not expelled all of the fetal tissue from her body and was in critical need of a dilation and curettage, or D&C. This routine procedure would clear the tissue from her uterus, ultimately saving her life.
However, when she showed up at Piedmont Henry Hospital, she was told there was nothing they could do. The state of Georgia has made performing the procedure a felony, with few exceptions. Any doctor who violates the new law could be prosecuted and imprisoned for up to a decade.
As doctors monitored her, the infection spread, her blood pressure sunk and her organs began to fail. Once it was “evident enough” that her life was in danger, they began the operation— but it was too late. Her ultimately life-ending infection was preventable.
Black Women and Abortions
Thurman’s case marks the first time a preventable abortion-related death has come to public light. However, it is certainly not without company. Reports confirm there are more deaths of women who were denied access to legal abortions and timely medical care. As more details of these tragedies are released, there are calls for legislatures to reexamine their stance on such a dire issue.
Georgia is a state with some of the most restrictive laws, yet the nation’s highest rates of maternal mortality. Black women are three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related complications than white women. This is why access to procedures like D&Cs are so crucial. For both abortions and routine miscarriage care, D&Cs helped reduce the rate of maternal deaths for women of color by up to 40% the first year after abortion became legal.
These deaths, though tragic and untimely, may make a significant impact on how much voters prioritize reproductive rights come November. And with that, Amber Thurman’s story will stand as a testament to how important it is that Black women’s health and autonomy be valued.