(NewsNation) — Pregnancy-related prosecutions have risen in the U.S. since Roe v. Wade was overturned in 2022, according to a new report by Pregnancy Justice.
The policy and legal advocacy nonprofit reports that from June 2022 to June 2024, prosecutors charged “at least 412” individuals with crimes related to a pregnancy, pregnancy loss or birth. The report notes that cases were initiated in 16 states, with the majority occurring in Alabama and Oklahoma. Officials with the nonprofit argue the number of prosecutions is likely much higher than 412.
“Without having the ability to look at every single county across the country, that is an alarming number,” Dana Sussman, the group’s senior vice president, told NBC News. “And it should alarm all of us.”
In reviewing the cases, the nonprofit found that more than 75% of the defendants were low-income individuals. In addition, roughly 78% of the cases included information about the outcome of the pregnancy. According to the report, most cases involved a live birth, 292 of the 323, while 31 involved fetal or infant death.
The report notes that while prosecutors used a “variety of criminal statutes to charge defendants in these cases,” roughly 90% of charges “asserted some form of child abuse, neglect or endangerment.” Nine cases included allegations related to abortion, such as possession of abortion medication or attempts to obtain an abortion.
Across the country, access to abortion medications and procedures has become increasingly debated. In September, Texas lawmakers passed legislation that allows lawsuits against anyone involved in making or providing abortion-inducing medication in the state. In September, the state of Louisiana issued a warrant for the arrest of a California doctor accused of mailing abortion pills to a patient in the state.