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3w ago

Cammack’s Near-Fatal Ectopic Pregnancy Exposes Gaps in Florida Abortion Law

Now pregnant again, Cammack welcomed Florida regulators’ guidance clarifying that ectopic pregnancies are exempt from the six-week abortion ban

U.S. Rep. Kat Cammack (R-FL) speaks on the Regulations from the Executive in Need of Scrutiny (REINS) Act at the U.S. Capitol on January 25, 2023 in Washington, DC.
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Doctors at the emergency room told Cammack she was about five weeks pregnant, but the pregnancy was ectopic and posed a serious risk to her life.

Overview

  • Florida Rep. Kat Cammack nearly died after a hospital delayed administering methotrexate for her cornual ectopic pregnancy in May 2024 because staff feared criminal charges under the six-week abortion ban.
  • Cammack was forced to pull up the text of the law on her phone and call Governor Ron DeSantis’s office before doctors agreed to proceed with treatment.
  • The Florida Department of Health issued guidance clarifying that ectopic pregnancies are not classified as abortions and are exempt from the state’s ban.
  • Now expecting again, Cammack has called on lawmakers to create explicit legal protections for clinicians treating life-threatening pregnancy complications.
  • Emergency physicians nationwide report ongoing anxiety over legal repercussions under restrictive abortion laws, prompting demands for clearer clinical guidelines.