Thread by @DrDGrossman

Since legislators are once again trying to write non-existent medical procedures into state law, let's again review why you cannot reimplant an ectopic pregnancy into the uterus.
time.com/5742053/ectopi…

As @Rewire_News wrote, this bill is based on a case report (lowest level of medical evidence in terms of the quality) from 1917 and a 1990 letter to the editor. rewire.news/article/2019/0…

I wrote about this back in May when the bill was first introduced: cincinnati.com/story/opinion/…

To start, a pregnancy is ectopic when it implants outside of the uterus—most commonly (96%) in the Fallopian tube. While it's rare, an ectopic pregnancy can develop elsewhere, like the cervix or the abdomen. Between 1-3% of pregnancies are ectopic.
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29232273

Ectopic pregnancies cannot continue to a live birth. As a pregnancy grows, the Fallopian tube—the tube transporting the egg from the ovary to the uterus— gets stretched and ruptures. It causes massive bleeding. When it comes to maternal deaths 4% are related to ectopic pregnancy.

To treat an ectopic pregnancy, a provider would assess and offer medication (methotrexate) or laparoscopic surgery. It's important that patients get care early so that the pregnancy does not grow and rupture. It's important patients have access to care.
mayoclinic.org/diseases-condi…

To be clear, an ectopic pregnancy cannot be “reimplanted” into the uterus. It's dangerous science fiction. I worry that some patients may question their provider's advice and wait longer before getting the necessary treatment, putting their lives at risk.
theguardian.com/us-news/2019/n…

Patients deserve high-quality evidence-based medical care. Politicians should not be legislating medical procedures based on ideology or lobbyists' desire to ban abortion procedures—especially not when the risks of inaction include death.
vox.com/2019/9/11/2085…