Doctors urge American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists to expose abortion misinformation

By Samantha Kamman, Christian Post Reporter Thursday, September 26, 2024

An unindentified woman displays an abortion pill packet after taking one of the pills as abortion rights campaign group ROSA, Reproductive Rights Against Oppression, Sexism and Austerity distribute abortion pills from a touring bus on May 31, 2018 in Belfast, Northern Ireland. | Charles McQuillan/Getty Images

An organization of over 7,000 OB-GYNs called on the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists to join forces and combat misinformation surrounding abortion drugs and state laws following the deaths of Amber Thurman and Candi Miller in Georgia.

In a letter provided this week to The Christian Post, the American Association of Pro-Life Obstetricians and Gynecologists outlined its efforts to provide clarity about abortion laws and induced abortions. The group emphasized the dangers of taking abortion drugs without medical supervision and women believing they cannot seek care due to abortion laws.

"We have seen that this misinformation creates fear and confusion among physicians and patients," the pro-life medical group stated. "This has deadly consequences. Amber Thurman and Candi Miller both passed away in Georgia after taking abortion drugs."

Thurman, a 28-year-old single mother, died after she obtained abortion drugs from a facility in North Carolina after learning she was pregnant with twins. The mother developed an infection several days later because some of her twins' remains were still inside her body.

Doctors diagnosed Thurman with acute severe sepsis, and while they discussed performing a dilation and curettage, medical professionals did not take her to the operating room until 20 hours after she arrived at the hospital.

Some media reports suggested that physicians failed to provide Thurman with care due to confusion about Georgia's abortion law. The state bans abortions after a fetal heartbeat becomes detectable but allows physicians to intervene to prevent the death of the pregnant woman and "irreversible physical impairment of a major bodily function."

The other woman, Miller, died in 2022 after she ordered abortion drugs online. An autopsy found the remains of her unborn child still inside her body. The autopsy also found that she took a combination of painkillers, including fentanyl. Miller did not seek help from a doctor because she thought she could be prosecuted due to Georgia's abortion law.

"Furthermore, both women passed away after taking abortion drugs, which we have long heard are 'safer than Tylenol' and can even be 'self-managed' without medical supervision," AAPLOG continued in its letter.

"Lying to patients and physicians can have deadly consequences. For our colleagues and patients, medical organizations must commit to educating the public based on facts, not political agendas (on either side)."

Despite differences in opinion on the abortion issue, AAPLOG asked the ACOG to join the pro-life medical group in educating the public and improving patient outcomes. In addition to ensuring women are aware of all the risks associated with mifepristone and misoprostol, AAPLOG advocated for improved standards to safeguard women's health.

"This would include an in-person evaluation to rule out contraindications and at least one follow-up visit to ensure she is not experiencing complications," the letter stated.

AAPLOG's other recommendations for improving patient outcomes include ensuring physicians receive guidance on their state laws and assuring women they will not be prosecuted for seeking care for abortion complications. The pro-life medical group also advocated for providing physicians with educational materials about abortion pill side effects so they can better care for women who arrive at the emergency room after taking the drugs.

"As physicians, we cannot afford to let any more of the patients we were sworn to protect die due to false understandings of state abortion policy or distorted narratives surrounding abortion drugs," AAPLOG concluded. "We look forward to working alongside ACOG in the service of our patients and look forward to hearing from you."

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists did not immediately respond to The Christian Post's request for comment.

The two Georgia women's deaths were discussed at a Tuesday U.S. Senate Finance Committee hearing titled "Chaos and Control: How Trump Criminalized Women's Health Care." Democratic Sen. Ron. Wyden, the committee's chair, asserted that women are not receiving emergency medical care at hospitals due to the overturning of Roe v. Wade in June 2022.

During her testimony, AAPLOG CEO Dr. Christina Francis, a board-certified OB/GYN who works in Indiana, declared that the title of the hearing is another effort to distract the public from the "true danger" to women's health — "unregulated and dangerous abortions" that the doctor said are ending the lives of women and their unborn children.

"How to care for women in emergency situations is not confusing to physicians. We knew how to do it before the Dobbs decision, and we know how to do it now," the OB-GYN stated. "When faced with a complex patient, we assess their clinical status using our reasonable medical judgment and then proceed with the appropriate treatment based on standards of care and our clinical expertise as well as shared decision making with the patient."

"It is not the laws to blame but rather the pro-abortion politicians and the media who have created deadly confusion as well as the professional associations who have failed to inform and train physicians and other hospital staff accurately," Francis continued.

Samantha Kamman is a reporter for The Christian Post. She can be reached at: samantha.kamman@christianpost.com. Follow her on Twitter: @Samantha_Kamman