The Burden of Abortion Restrictions and Conservative Diagnostic Guidelines on Patient-Centered Care for Early Pregnancy Loss

Abstract

Intrauterine pregnancies of uncertain viability are common, and guidelines for diagnosing early pregnancy loss must balance the risk of interrupting a viable pregnancy with the anxiety and medical complications resulting from delayed diagnosis. Two cases of likely early pregnancy loss presenting as intrauterine pregnancies of uncertain viability are described, with stark differences in care availability related to state reproductive health care regulations. Onerous abortion restrictions, medical and societal stigma, and inherent pronatalism in diagnostic criteria interfere with the exercise of clinical judgment and can damage patients' physical or mental health.

Abortion in Countries with Restrictive Abortion Laws—Possible Directions and Solutions from the Perspective of Poland

“…The objectives of the Cairo Action Plan permitted the adjustment of its provisions to the national laws of individual countries to respect their religious, cultural, and ethical separateness [1,2]. Regrettably, a tendency towards the radicalization of abortion law is observed in radical countries, including Poland [3][4][5]. The process is undergoing gradual progress in Poland.…”

“…Terminations may only be performed in the case of a threat to maternal life and if the pregnancy resulted from rape. In other countries abortion has been banned entirely [3,5].…”

ObGyns united in a divided post-Dobbs America

“…2 Recent published data highlights the substantially negative impact these legislative changes already have had regarding the treatment of early spontaneous abortions and premature rupture of membranes. 3,4 Physicians could face legal consequences for treating emergencies, such as ectopic pregnancies, in some states. 5 The 2022 American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) Annual Clinical and Scientific Meeting, held shortly after the leaked SCOTUS opinion, was unlike most others.…”