Georgia House Bill 481 (HB 481): The Living Infants Fairness and Equality (LIFE) Act was sponsored by six members of the Georgia House of Representatives and introduced during the 2019 legislative session [5]. HB 481 bans abortion after six weeks; it also gives full legal rights and protections to “natural persons” in utero. Unsafe abortion is one of the leading contributors to maternal mortality worldwide, and countries with highly restrictive abortion laws have increased rates of unsafe abortion and maternal mortality. Georgia already has the highest rates of maternal mortality in the US. HB 481’s restriction of abortion access and criminalization of women poses an imminent threat to the health of Georgian women of reproductive age. Governor Brian Kemp signed HB 481 into law on May 7th, 2019. Pending an injunction, the law will enter force January 1, 2020 effectively banning abortion across the state. As the battle over sexual and reproductive health rights heats up, pro-choice advocates must deconstruct, analyze and combat anti-choice messaging.

Two faculty from HDGH will discuss their work and research related to the abortion debate. Professor Dabney Evans will present her recent work characterizing the arguments and tactics used by anti-abortion advocates during the legislative debate of HB 481 while Professor John Blevins will analyze the effects of religious rhetoric in the broader abortion debate in Georgia today.

John Blevins, PhD
Research Associate Professor Interfaith Health Program
Child Health & Mortality Prevention Surveillance (CHAMPS) Network Affiliate Faculty, Graduate Division of Religion

Dabney P. Evans, PhD, MPH
Research Associate Professor & Co-Director of Graduate Studies
The Hubert Department of Global Health
Rollins School of Public Health

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