Medical organizations that support pro-life values, representing a large number of doctors, are urging the Trump administration to take action on policy suggestions aimed at enhancing data reporting concerning abortion and maternal death rates.
A coalition led by Americans United for Life (AUL), which is both a legal organization and advocacy group focused on pro-life issues, addressed a letter on Wednesday to CDC Director Erica Schwartz. They requested that the public health agency “improve the quality of data and reporting related to maternal mortality and abortion.” The letter emphasized the need for the CDC to enhance its reporting practices and to publish the long-awaited 2025 abortion surveillance report that has been pending for close to a year.
“While Congress holds the power to enforce state abortion reporting, the CDC can still facilitate top-tier reporting by broadening the voluntary elements it requests,” remarked John Mize, CEO of Americans United for Life. “We encourage Director Schwartz and her leadership team to expand anonymized abortion reporting as much as possible under their congressional authority to promote public health and guide federal policy choices.”
Among the signatories of this letter were AUL, the American Association of Pro-Life OB-GYNs (AAPLOG), as well as Christian Medical & Dental Associations and the Catholic Medical Association. The letter was also sent to other members of the Trump administration, including Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.
The organizations specifically asked for the CDC to “publish an annual multi-metric U.S. maternal mortality dashboard” along with “metrics for deaths per total pregnancies, deaths per live births, and outcome-specific mortality ratios to better understand the risks associated with various pregnancy outcomes.” They also suggested incorporating voluntary abortion reporting components from states, which would consist of details such as abortion provider and facility, method of abortion, drug lot number for abortion medications, and anonymized pre-existing health conditions that could have affected the pregnancy.
“Accurate and transparent maternal health data—including the detection and reporting of abortion-related mortality—is essential for updating and comprehending mortality systems and for informing healthcare practices across the country,” Dr. Ingrid Skop, Director of Research at AAPLOG, stated in communication to the DCNF. “AAPLOG appeals to Erica Schwartz to restore the integrity and reliability of CDC data reporting.”
“While global public health is undoubtedly important, the CDC should prioritize the advancement of American health over bureaucratic international agencies,” said Gavin Oxley, who authored the AUL policy brief and serves as Director of External Affairs & Media Strategy. “Inadequate maternal mortality statistics obstruct access to crucial data that women and their healthcare providers need to make informed medical choices, effectively benefiting the abortion advocacy movement. Women deserve clarity regarding the actual risks tied to various pregnancy outcomes, from childbirth to abortion.”
A CDC study conducted in 2022 indicated that mental health issues were the primary cause of most pregnancy-related deaths between 2017 and 2019. It revealed that 23% of all pregnancy-related deaths were linked to factors such as suicide, overdose, substance abuse, or other mental health challenges.
