Since the U.S. Supreme Court's overturning of Roe v. Wade in June, Latino communities have been facing a barrage of Spanish-language misinformation and disinformation about abortion.
Northwestern Medicine OB-GYN Dr. Melissa Simon, who is Latina, said groups targeting these communities are trying to fuel confusion and distrust in the medical system, which means some pregnant individuals who are considering an abortion won't seek appropriate care.
"Whenever a population starts from a vulnerable position with less power, resources and knowledge-and, in this case, language-it puts that population at even greater risk of not being able to achieve the care or access the care they feel they need," said Simon, vice chair for research in the department of obstetrics and gynecology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.
"We know that the overturning of Roe will increase overall mortality. But maternal mortality rates for Hispanics are already at an all-time high. That additional context makes this really alarming."
