Brittney Poolaw had a miscarriage at home. She was about 17 weeks pregnant. She told the hospital staff she had recently used both methamphetamine and marijuana.

A medical examiner cited her drug use as one of several “conditions contributing” to the miscarriage, a list which also included congenital abnormality and placental abruption.

Poolaw was arrested and jailed for one-and-half-years because she could not afford a $20,000 bond.

The trial finally took place this month and lasted one day. According to a local television station, an expert witness for the prosecution testified that methamphetamine use may not have been directly responsible for the death of Poolaw’s fetus. Nevertheless, after deliberating for less than three hours, a jury found her guilty, and she was sentenced to four years in prison.

From the detective’s affidavit, it seems possible Poolaw’s entire ordeal might have been avoided had she had access to decent reproductive health care. Poolaw, the detective wrote, “stated when she found out she was pregnant she didn’t know if she wanted the baby or not. She said she wasn’t familiar with how or where to get an abortion.”

Granted, methamphetamine is bad for the health of a fetus but there's no solid evidence that drug use causes miscarriages.

There is solid evidence congenital abnormality and placental abruption lead to miscarriages, though.

We're truly living out "The Handmaid's Tale'.


https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/18/opinion/poolaw-miscarriag...