Carmen Broesder, 35, said she visited the ER three times before receiving care. In a series of TikTok videos — along with medical records, photos and videos shared with ABC News, she said that despite bleeding heavily and suffering intense cramps, she was denied a dilation and curettage, or D&C, which removes tissue from inside the uterus, multiple times.
Because a D&C can also be used when providing abortion care, she told ABC News she believes it’s directly tied to Idaho’s abortion ban. “Why should I get to death’s door to get help?” Broesder said. “I am prepared to be a mother. I am a mother and I wanted to have another baby. That is my story and it almost killed me.”
OBGYNs told ABC News the “save the mother’s life” exception of abortions bans, which Broesder may have qualified for in Idaho, is often vague and the language is unclear about what qualifies as a mother’s life being in danger, what the risk of death is, and how imminent death must be before a provider can act.
Providers also may be worried about providing miscarriage care because it could be misconstrued as providing abortion care, and they could face legal repercussions. In an audio recording of the conversation Broesder had with the physician about why she couldn’t get a D&C, he said “there is some trepidation” about performing one in the wake of Idaho’s new abortion law.
“I was in so much pain I didn’t know how much more my body could take,” she said. “I had gone to the ER twice and I got turned away. I go to the OB, and I got turned away. I knew I couldn’t afford much more visits for longevity afterwards to keep my family afloat. So, I was just like, well, it is what it is.”