Republican U.S. Rep. Kat Cammack of Florida says a hospital delayed ending her life-threatening ectopic pregnancy last May because of confusion over the state’s new abortion law.
According to the Wall Street Journal, Cammack, who was five weeks into her pregnancy at the time, blamed the confusion by emergency room doctors on “fearmongering” by pro-abortion activists surrounding Florida’s restrictions on the procedure after six weeks.
After determining the baby’s heartbeat had stopped and her life was at risk, doctors decided she required either surgery or a shot of methotrexate to help expel her ectopic pregnancy.
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However, they waited because they were worried about losing their licenses or going to jail, she told the Journal. Cammack did not name the hospital.
The law, enacted May 1, 2024, does not ban the treatment of ectopic pregnancies and considers them an emergency and not an abortion.
During the delay, Cammack said she looked up statutes on her phone and even called Gov. Ron DeSantis’ office for verification. After pleading her case, doctors eventually agreed to give her the drug hours later.
Cammack, a conservative who co-chairs the House pro-life caucus and opposes abortion, said misleading rhetoric from Democrats contributed to the delay.
“It was absolute fearmongering at its worst,” Cammack, 37, told the Journal.
“There will be some comments like, ‘Well, thank God we have abortion services,’ even though what I went through wasn’t an abortion.”
Cammack, who represents an area of north central Florida, announced she was pregnant again in March. She said she hoped telling her experience would help people find common ground on issues related to women's health care.
ALSO READ: Florida's abortion amendment falls short of the threshold to pass
“I would stand with any woman – Republican or Democrat – and fight for them to be able to get care in a situation where they are experiencing a miscarriage and an ectopic pregnancy,” she told the Journal.
We feel so incredibly blessed and can’t wait to meet our little girl aka baby Peanut soon. Now that we are getting close to “D” day, we’ve been looking back at all of the incredible adventures our little daughter has already had, and it’s exciting to think of all the future holds… pic.twitter.com/U1nXXhe7Dz
— Kat Cammack (@Kat_Cammack) June 21, 2025
Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis signed the Heartbeat Protection Act into law, which bans most abortions after six weeks, in 2023.
In September, the state issued guidance to providers about dealing with ectopic pregnancies and other “misinformation” regarding the law for the mother’s life is in danger.
An ectopic pregnancy occurs when a fertilized egg implants outside the uterus, most often in a fallopian tube. Because an embryo cannot develop properly outside the uterus, the pregnancy is not viable and requires prompt treatment to prevent serious complications.
