Since the Dobbs decision in 2022, Louisiana has completely banned abortion care with very narrow exceptions under threat of up to 15 years in prison and $200,000 in fines. A new report on the impacts of Louisiana’s restrictive and punitive abortion policies contains alarming findings that these laws violate federal law meant to protect patients, disregard evidence-based public health guidance, degrade long-standing medical ethical standards, and, worst of all, deny basic human rights to Louisianans seeking reproductive health care in our state.

The study revealed that the bans’ narrow and ill-defined exceptions create confusion, uncertainty, and fear for both pregnant patients and clinicians, actively deteriorating the quality of prenatal and miscarriage care across the state. These policies have negative impacts on public health writ large, with a disproportionate impact on historically marginalized communities and groups in the state.

The people in power in Louisiana have the opportunity to proactively change policy to address the harm they have caused and work to restore the quality of healthcare and human rights to people in our state. In light of these findings, we urge Louisiana policymakers to move immediately to adopt the policy recommendations included in the report.

We Demand Our Goverment

• Repeal Louisiana’s abortion bans, as well as all other restrictive laws and regulations that effectively obstruct access to abortion in the state.
• Invest in full-spectrum health care centers and providers, including birthing centers and birth workers, who are committed to the reproductive justice framework and offer care in chronically underserved areas, particularly rural and low-income communities.
• Enact Medicaid reforms that expand access to full spectrum reproductive health care, including contraception, abortion, pregnancy, and postpartum care.