Each of us deserves quality healthcare that is respectful to our beliefs and personal circumstances. Congress has the opportunity to protect that right by passing legislation that ensures lifesaving medications remain available to people nationwide. The majority of people of faith support access to abortion. It’s time for the government to reflect that reality by passing the Stop Comstock Act. 

Abortion by medication accounts for two-thirds of abortions in the United States. The Comstock Act, an antiquated 19thcentury law, if enforced, could be used to ban the mailing of abortion pills nationwide. After the overturning of Roe v. Wade, access to this critical healthcare is already limited in many states, if not outright banned. The Comstock Act threatens to make this limited access even more difficult to reach. Through banning the mailing of abortion medications, the Comstock Act could effectively prevent doctors from prescribing it during in-person visits. If the mailing of these pills is prohibited, then doctors may not receive a supply of the drug. 

States that ban and criminalize abortion have higher rates of maternal and infant deaths and increased economic insecurity. In states where abortion is banned, women are nearly twice as likely to die from pregnancy-related complications compared to women in states where abortion access is protected. In Texas, where abortion is entirely banned and criminalized, rates of sepsis—a life-threatening condition—have risen by more than 50% for lost pregnancies that occurred in the second trimester. Marginalized populations including Black communities, people of color, the LGBTQ+ community, and low-income communities have particularly diminished access to reproductive healthcare, placing them in greater harm. The U.S. has the highest maternal mortality rate of any high-income country in the world, and 80% of these deaths are preventable. Further restricting access to safe abortions will only endanger more lives and cause more deaths.  

For over 40 years, the United Church of Christ has affirmed and supported access to the full range of reproductive health care, including abortion. We know that when people have full bodily autonomy and reproductive freedom their families and communities thrive. Our tradition embodies the faithful and strong response affirming an individual’s self-determination for their own body. 

Take action to protect abortion access today. Urge your elected officials to support the Stop Comstock Act!