More Georgia women — particularly Black women — are dying from pregnancy-related health complications. Advocates for healthcare say this is partly due to a lack of access to timely medical care, as well as trustworthy contraceptive and abortion services.
To address this issue, State Rep. Anne Allen Westbrook (D-163) announced she will introduce a bill aimed at limiting state funding for unregulated crisis pregnancy centers. The bill would also define terms such as “advertising,” “emergency contraception,” and “pregnancy services center.”
Westbrook made the announcement at a Women’s Reproductive Health Rights forum on Nov. 23 in Hinesville, hosted by Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc.’s Nu Rho Omega chapter and Cultivated Pearls Foundation of Southeast Georgia.
The American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology states that crisis pregnancy centers use misleading marketing tactics to delay or prevent individuals from seeking abortion care.
“We want to make sure, first and foremost, that the public knows what these centers do and what they don’t do,” Westbrook told The Current. “And just sort of look at the issue of whether they should be receiving state funding.”
The bill aims to address false or misleading advertising about pregnancy services by imposing civil fines and corrective ads, requiring disclosures about whether licensed medical professionals are on site, and mandating notices about the availability of abortion services, emergency contraception, or referrals for those services.
Georgians are paying millions in taxes for fake abortion clinics In 2017, then-Gov. Nathan Deal signed a law funding “pregnancy support services” that explicitly excludes most abortions. That year, the Georgia Department of Public Health awarded Life Resources of Georgia, Inc. an annual state contract to administer grants for 13 “pregnancy resource centers,” with the stipulation that these funds could not be used for counseling toward, referring for, or providing abortion.
Westbrook noted that most of these clinics offer only basic services like pregnancy tests and limited follow-up visits after Georgia’s six-week window. Some crisis pregnancy centers provide free baby supplies or show clients ultrasound images of the fetus.
In its bid application, Life Resources of Georgia (LRG) mentioned awarding 12 grants for “ultrasound proficiency training” between 2008 and 2013. Georgia doesn’t require ultrasound techs to be certified, and LRG did not provide any training details.
Since then, Georgia crisis pregnancy centers have received millions in state funding. By 2021, they had received over $10 million in taxpayer dollars, according to SPARK, an Atlanta-based reproductive justice organization. In fiscal year 2024 alone, the Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) disbursed over $2 million to “direct client service providers” through the Positive Alternatives for Pregnancy and Parenting Grant Program.
Women’s health advocates raised concerns when DPH Commissioner Dr. Kathleen Toomey dismissed all members of Georgia’s 36-seat Maternal Mortality Review Committee. Toomey’s Nov. 8 letter claimed that an investigation was “unable to uncover which individual(s) disclosed confidential information.”
ProPublica reported that the committee had concluded the deaths of Amber Thurman and Candi Miller were preventable, after a committee member disclosed that Miller delayed seeking treatment due to state law.
Westbrook emphasized that the committee’s work should be transparent, adding that leaks to the press are often the only way the public learns about these issues.
In June 2023, the committee issued a report showing that younger women, women of color, and women on Medicaid were disproportionately affected by pregnancy-related deaths between 2012 and 2020. Of the 786 Georgia women who died from pregnancy-related causes, 60% had a high school education or less, 56% were non-Hispanic Black women, and six women in Coastal Georgia died from pregnancy-related causes.
The report revealed that 89% of these deaths could likely have been prevented. Mental health (27%) and hemorrhage (22%) were the leading causes of death. Of the mental health-related deaths, 73% were suicides, and 47% involved substance use disorder.
On Nov. 19, Gov. Brian Kemp appointed Dr. Padmashree “Champa” Woodham, an OB/GYN and professor at Medical College of Georgia (now Augusta University), as the new chair of the committee. DPH is accepting applications for the remaining committee seats through Dec. 6.
Health experts, local women share their thoughts At the Hinesville event, women’s health experts encouraged the audience to educate themselves about their reproductive rights and their bodies. Organizers clarified that the event was about supporting women’s choices, not advocating for any specific procedures.
Retired Navy captain Dr. Kelly O. Elmore, an OB/GYN and former chief of staff at Walter Reed National Medical Center, explained that Black women are more likely to die “in or surrounding birth.” She emphasized that all women need access to board-certified OB/GYNs and nurse practitioners, as contraceptive access is more challenging post-Roe.
Tracey A. Clark-Johnson, a family nurse practitioner from Savannah, pointed out that family planning concerns both men and women, saying, “Reproductive health is not just a female issue.”
Brandi Pinckney-Greene, a telehealth nurse and certified family nurse practitioner, highlighted the increasing rates of HIV diagnoses among Black heterosexual women. She stressed that both partners should be involved in decisions regarding condom use: “If the man doesn’t like it, we as women need to understand the importance of taking charge of our bodies.”
Raleighetta Vonzell Varnadoe, a registered dietitian and retired Army Reserve lieutenant colonel, shared that she had mixed feelings about participating in the panel because her adopted son questioned her stance on abortion. She explained, “That’s not what this is about. It’s about the rights for women and their lives.”
Cherisse Johnson, who brought her 13-year-old daughter, Jalah, to the meeting, said, “You would think you’d want to keep us healthy and sound, and I think they’re just trying to take us back to the Stone Ages.”
Jalah found the panel informative, noting that she learned about menstruation and the importance of Pap smears. She also questioned whether she would be able to access an abortion if needed, considering restrictions like Project 2025, which limits abortion access without a police report for cases of rape.
“We are seeing the negative effects on women’s health,” Westbrook said. “Women are having to travel, and many can’t access healthcare. I think it’s time to start the conversation.”