GUEST OPINION: The case for maintaining public access to ‘terminated pregnancy’ reports

Disclaimer: The following is a guest post submitted by medical students from Marian University of Indianapolis. Opinions expressed in this guest post are solely those of the guest authors.

The accessibility of terminated pregnancy reports (TPRs) is an essential component for advancing positive maternal health outcomes in Indiana. Unfortunately, Voices for Life and the Indiana State Department of Health – two organizations who utilize TPRs – are currently facing legal opposition from a group of abortion providers seeking to restrict public access to these reports.

The narrative presented by these abortion providers suggests that all physicians and healthcare providers are united on this issue. However, many members of the medical community stand in strong opposition to reduced access to TPRs, and we encourage those outside of the healthcare field to do the same.

It is a common misconception that TPRs are medical records that could potentially compromise the privacy of patients. However, TPRs are designed to protect patient privacy while also ensuring provider compliance with abortion regulations.

Public access to TPRs fosters greater accountability within the healthcare system because the transparency required of these reports ensures that clinics and providers adhere to all medical and ethical standards of care. It also is a clear indication of when a provider is offering substandard care or violating patient rights.

For example, Indiana physician Dr. Ulrich Klopfer lost his medical license and his clinic in 2016 because of a TPR-based complaint that exposed harm done to women in his care. Similarly, there have been multiple incidences of babies being born alive after unsuccessful abortion attempts in Indiana, and TPRs would provide information on the providers and healthcare institutions affiliated with these incidences to ensure that the baby and the mother received adequate care after the procedure.

Additionally, publicly accessible TPRs enable pro-life organizations and local health authorities to track trends in pregnancy terminations. This provides valuable data about potential disparities in maternal healthcare that are leading women to choose abortion at higher rates, which ultimately enables health officials to better allocate resources and provide support to these regions.

Similarly, legislators can make informed decisions about where additional maternal health services are needed, identify at-risk populations, and allocate funding efficiently with data generated from these TPRs.

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TPRs are primarily utilized retroactively but can also be used proactively to ensure that maternal health interventions are timely, targeted, and evolved based on latest research. Studies driven by TPR data have the potential to lead advancements in prenatal and postnatal care, ensuring that patients receive the most effective medical support before, during, and after pregnancy by allowing experts to study trends, assess the impact of various healthcare interventions, and develop improved protocols for maternal care.

Not only is it essential for TPRs to remain accessible, but they should be appropriately submitted.

In 2024, there were numerous TPRs in Indiana that failed to meet this standard, either through being submitted outside of deadlines or neglecting to provide required information. One field that was repeatedly neglected is “reason for abortion.” Indiana has relatively strict guidelines regarding situations for legal abortions, but failure to disclose a reason for the procedure leaves room for the (likely) possibility that some providers are not in compliance with these laws. Once again, TPR accessibility ensures that appropriate oversight is in place to follow-up with these providers or healthcare institutions.

In conclusion, restricting public access to TPRs would significantly hinder efforts to improve maternal health outcomes. These reports are essential tools for shaping policy that impacts healthcare, advancing research, and ensuring accountability. Transparency in this type of healthcare data ultimately benefits everyone without compromising the safety or privacy of patients.

For these reasons, we stand firmly in support of an accessible model for TPRs in Indiana and denounce attempts made by abortion providers to limit these reports from the public.

Editor’s Note: This article was submitted by medical students from Marian University in Indianapolis, Indiana.