1. United States
2. N.C.
3. Letter

I'm writing to express my strong opposition to H.R.78, the Pregnant Women Health and Safety Act of 2025. While the bill's title suggests it aims to protect women's health, I firmly believe it would have the opposite effect. By restricting access to abortion services, H.R.78 would force women to seek dangerous and illegal alternatives, leading to increased maternal mortality rates. The United States already has a higher maternal mortality rate compared to other developed countries, with 20.7 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2020 (1). In contrast, countries like Canada (7.3 deaths per 100,000 live births) and the UK (7.1 deaths per 100,000 live births) have significantly lower maternal mortality rates, largely due to more comprehensive reproductive healthcare, including access to safe and legal abortion (2). Furthermore, restricting abortion access would not reduce the number of abortions performed. In fact, since the implementation of Roe v. Wade in 1973, the abortion rate in the United States has decreased by 25% (3). This decline is largely attributed to increased access to contraception, comprehensive sex education, and reproductive healthcare services. Comprehensive sex education has been shown to be highly effective in reducing teen pregnancies and abortions. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), teen pregnancy rates have declined by 51% since 2007, largely due to increased access to comprehensive sex education and contraception (4). In contrast, abstinence-only education has been shown to be ineffective in reducing teen pregnancies and abortions (5). It's also important to note that teen pregnancies are often linked to underage girls having sex with adult men. According to the CDC, in 2019, 43% of births to girls aged 15-17 were fathered by men aged 20 or older (6). This highlights the need for comprehensive sex education and support services to prevent teen pregnancies and protect vulnerable youth. In light of these statistics, I urge you to oppose H.R.78 and instead focus on policies that promote comprehensive reproductive healthcare, including access to safe and legal abortion, contraception, and comprehensive sex education. Women's health and safety should be our top priority, and this bill would only serve to harm them. Thank you for your time, and I look forward to hearing your thoughts on this critical issue. References: (1) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2022). Pregnancy-Related Deaths. (2) World Health Organization. (2022). Maternal mortality. (3) Guttmacher Institute. (2022). Abortion Incidence and Service Availability in the United States. (4) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2022). Teen Pregnancy Prevention. (5) National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy. (2017). The Effectiveness of Abstinence-Only Education. (6) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2022). Teen Pregnancy and Childbearing.