The majority of American voters, including Republicans, support protecting access to abortion for women who are experiencing pregnancy-related emergencies, such as miscarriages, a KFF poll finds.
Kristen Petranek has a history of miscarriages – and she has diabetes, which makes pregnancy risky. She fears that if something goes wrong, her state's law may inhibit doctors from helping her.
State law at the time prohibited abortion after around 6 weeks. Legal experts say this kind of law leaves doctors uncertain of what's legal and can put patients in dangerous situations.
New, untested abortion bans have made doctors unsure about treating some pregnancy complications. That's led to life-threatening delays, and trapped families in a limbo of grief and helplessness.
About a quarter of all pregnancies end in miscarriage. Despite the large number of workers affected, no national laws protect them when they need time off to deal with the loss.
