On this edition of Your Call’s Media Roundtable, we're discussing a new ProPublica piece about one of the many preventable deaths that has occurred as a result of Republican-backed abortion bans and restrictions.
Women living in states that have banned abortion are nearly twice as likely to die during pregnancy, childbirth, or soon after giving birth, compared to those who were living in states where abortion was legal and accessible, according to a 2025 report from the Gender Equity Policy Institute.
ProPublica reports that Ciji Graham, a 34-year-old police officer and mother of a two-year-old boy, died waiting for an abortion in Greensboro, North Carolina after a cardiologist refused to perform a standard, life-saving heart procedure because she was pregnant.
How many women have lost their lives after being denied life-saving medical care due to abortion bans and restrictions? What does the future hold for the most vulnerable as Republican-controlled states enact increasingly extreme restrictions on abortion?
Guest:
Lizzie Presser, journalist covering health and social policy for ProPublica
Resources:
ProPublica: A Pregnant Woman at Risk of Heart Failure Couldn’t Get Urgent Treatment. She Died Waiting for an Abortion.
PBS: Abortion restrictions may be fueling a rise in domestic violence, experts warn
ProPublica: A “Striking” Trend: After Texas Banned Abortion, More Women Nearly Bled to Death During Miscarriage
ProPublica: Texas Banned Abortion. Then Sepsis Rates Soared.
The New York Times: Tracking Abortion Laws Across the Country
