Nearly 200 women died after ectopic pregnancies during the five-year period, compared with about 100 in the previous six years. Maternal health experts cautioned that abortion bans alone do not explain the national rise, but said investigations should account for reports of delays in care linked to the laws.

In Texas, 310 more patients experienced substantial blood loss after an ectopic pregnancy in 2023–24 than in 2018–19, an increase of about 29%, according to the analysis. The rise appears to have begun during the COVID-19 pandemic, but the rate of complications remained high after Texas enacted sweeping abortion restrictions in 2022.

Texas law permits abortion when a pregnant patient faces a life-threatening condition or serious risk to a major bodily function. Providers must also attempt to save the fetus. Confusion among physicians about how the exceptions apply prompted lawmakers to clarify the medical-emergency provisions last year, following pressure from women’s health advocates.

The findings are emerging as maternal health is expected to feature in Texas’ next legislative session. President Donald Trump on Monday signed an executive order directing the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to establish a women’s health division focused on research and improving prevention, diagnosis and treatment of conditions that uniquely or disproportionately affect women.

The administration has also cut hundreds of millions of dollars in federal health research funding, including for maternal health, according to ProPublica. The contrast underscores a broader debate over whether new research initiatives will be matched by sustained public investment and timely access to reproductive health care.