09/17/2026
Ectopic pregnancy deaths nearly doubled in the United States, climbing faster in abortion-ban states.
A ProPublica analysis of CDC records found almost 200 deaths involving ectopic pregnancy from 2020 through 2025, compared with about 100 during the previous six years.
The increase occurred nationwide, with a steeper rise in states that adopted strict abortion bans.
An ectopic pregnancy happens when a pregnancy implants outside the uterus, usually in a fallopian tube. A pregnancy growing there cannot develop normally and can rupture the tube, causing life-threatening internal bleeding.
Early diagnosis and appropriate care can prevent that emergency. Treatment may involve methotrexate, a medication that stops pregnancy tissue from growing, or surgery.
But identifying the problem is not always straightforward.
Early in pregnancy, an ultrasound may not show where the pregnancy has implanted. Doctors may need repeat scans and blood tests measuring pregnancy hormone levels, alongside symptoms and the patient’s condition.
That uncertainty can become especially difficult where clinicians fear criminal penalties for ending a pregnancy.
Although many abortion bans explicitly allow ectopic pregnancy treatment, lawsuits and patient accounts describe delays while doctors sought greater certainty or questioned whether they could legally intervene.
The death records do not prove that abortion bans caused the national increase.
Deaths began rising during the COVID-19 pandemic, before Roe v. Wade was overturned in 2022. Disrupted care, longstanding healthcare gaps, and other factors may also contribute.
Researchers also lack comprehensive national data showing whether ectopic pregnancies themselves have become more common.
What the findings establish is a troubling increase that needs investigation.
Learn more:
"Ectopic Pregnancy Deaths Have Nearly Doubled. It’s Worse in States With Abortion Bans.." ProPublica
