1/ In today's broadcast of "Lies #MOLeg Tells About Abortion in Missouri" let's talk about if abortion is dangerous/unsafe in this state. Uninterested in a long tweet? Here's the punch line: Abortion is safe! For those of you who like numbers because #FactsMatter read on.
2/All information on this tweet is publicly available at health.mo.gov/data/vitalstat…. The most recent data is from 2017. From DHHS' website you can find this quote: "Complications were associated with 1.9% of Missouri abortions." There were 3,903 abortions in Missouri in 2017.
3/Now this includes "20 failed abortions" but what does that really mean? Well Missouri requires that any time a pill abortion fails that it is reported to state. But is this really a "complication" or just part of the known profile of taking a pill abortion? Let's ask #ACOG!
4/#ACOG Practice Bulletin: Medical Management of First-Trimester Abortion quotes the effectiveness of the FDA approved regimen as 95-99%. So pretty good right? They also say "less than 5% of patients undergo surgical evacuation."
5/Also let's highlight this statement from #ACOG "In addition to physicians, advanced practice clinicians, such as nurse–midwives, physician assistants, and nurse practitioners, possess the clinical and counseling skills necessary to provide first-trimester medical abortion."
6/Anyone in the audience take pills for a miscarriage? It's the same pills! Just like for miscarriage the pills sometimes don't work. But we know that not all abortions are pill abortions. So what about surgical abortions?
7/Perhaps not all of those failed abortions were pill abortions. Can surgical abortions fail? According to ucsfhealth.org/education/medi… the answer is yes. Surgical abortions are about 98% effective meaning about 2% of patients will need a repeat procedure.
8/So should "failed abortions" be viewed as evidence of a facility being "dangerous" or "unsafe". Failed abortions only occurred in 0.005% of all patients having an abortion in Missouri in 2017 (well below published rates) so my assessment is no.
9/Let's now consider some things that are more "dangerous" than the care being provided at Planned Parenthood. According to the DHHS website there were no reported deaths from abortion in MO in 2017. There were 27 maternal (pregnancy related) deaths. Where is the outrage?
10/Where is the investigation of the hospitals where this occurred? Anyone else think that someone dying is perhaps a bit more serious than a pill not being 100% effective?
11/#MODHHS does not have formal complication reporting requirements ANY OTHER PROCEDURE OR CONDITION related to pregnancy except for abortion. Maybe we should require hospitals providing pregnancy care to report complications.
12/Some other references about the risk of death.
Abortion: 1/100,000
Riding a motorcycle: 100/100,000
Playing football: 1/50,000
Oh no! Ban motorcycles & the NFL! Fun fact. The risk of dying from an abortion is equivalent to the risk of dying from canoeing. No more float trips!
Abortion: 1/100,000
Riding a motorcycle: 100/100,000
Playing football: 1/50,000
Oh no! Ban motorcycles & the NFL! Fun fact. The risk of dying from an abortion is equivalent to the risk of dying from canoeing. No more float trips!
13/But let's make put this in perspective of medical procedures. Here's info from @theNASEM report again. Comparison of mortality rates.
Abortion: 0.7
Dental procedures: 0-1.7
Plastic surgery: 0.8-1.7
Colonoscopy: 2.9
Tonsillectomy: 2.9-6.3
Childbirth: 8.8
Abortion: 0.7
Dental procedures: 0-1.7
Plastic surgery: 0.8-1.7
Colonoscopy: 2.9
Tonsillectomy: 2.9-6.3
Childbirth: 8.8
14/So if you made it to the end now you know abortion is safe. The care provided in Missouri is safe. Planned Parenthood will continue to provide safe, evidence-based care for patients that come through their doors because #WeWontGoBack.
@DrJenGunter @DrDGrossman @VillaviMD @DrCarrieOBGYN anything else to add about the safety of abortion?
