Debunking misinformation about abortion-related maternal mortality in Africa

An emerging body of literature misinterprets and misrepresents the scholarship on African maternal mortality to advance the political agenda of anti-abortion advocates. The African region accounts for 70% of global maternal deaths, a figure that has justified a regional, evidence-based movement to loosen restrictive abortion laws. Anti-abortion activists have reacted by working to cast doubt on the scientific consensus that accessible legal abortion saves lives. The misinformation they produce justifies abortion restrictions—including criminalization—that worsen maternal mortality and morbidity, undermine gender equity by constraining women's reproductive rights, and exacerbate risks especially for young, rural, unmarried, and poor women. As an anthropologist who studies global anti-abortion strategies and a physician-anthropologist who has practiced obstetrics and gynecology in Malawi, respectively, we write to identify the deceptive tactics and debunk the false claims featured in recent publications by abortion opponents. Our goal is to prepare readers who care about reducing maternal mortality—no matter their moral perspectives on abortion—to recognize and refute misinformation. We conclude with suggestions for how researchers might move beyond ideological disagreements to improve maternal health.