Deserted: The Deterioration of Reproductive Health Care in Louisiana

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In 2024 Louisiana became the first in the nation to reclassify pregnancy care drugs such as misoprostol and mifepristone as controlled dangerous substances. The drugs were targeted because they can be used for abortion, although they have multiple other uses.

The state has one of the worst maternal mortality rates in the country, and post-Dobbs, as unprecedented reproductive health legislation like the misoprostol bill is passed, it’s increasing risk for already vulnerable patients. This risk is exponentially worse for Black women, and people living in maternity care deserts.

This project investigates how reproductive health care is changing in the state, with an emphasis on how marginalized communities are impacted.