Recently, Ohio Republicans introduced a bill that would require medical professionals to track every pregnancy.This legislation has a lot of people, especially women, terrified of its repercussions. Influencer Pottymouthpollyanna (Mandy) underlined one of the most concerning aspects of the bill in her TikTok video.
“Arrested for your miscarriage?! Ohio wants to track the outcomes of ALL pregnancies. This is right out of the Handmaid’s Tale and it should alarm everyone,” Mandy wrote in the caption of her TikTok video. Jean Schmidt, an Ohio State Representative, introduced the bill HB-754, which proposes a registry of all pregnancies. Healthcare providers would be required to file what is known as a ‘certificate of life’ if a fetal heartbeat is detected. If there is a fetal death, it would be reported whether it was due to a miscarriage, stillbirth, or abortion.
Mandy says the certificate of life and certificate of death would be matched in a system or, as she puts it, a “pregnancy tracking registry.” And given how common miscarriages are — 1 in 4, according to Better Health Channel — Mandy argues that information could lead to criminal offense, if it’s discovered a woman had one.
Mandy referenced the case of Brittany Watts, a woman who was charged with a felony after miscarrying at home rather than in a hospital. She was initially charged with abuse of a corpse, but the case was later dismissed, prompting her to sue the hospital. Mandy states, “It’s not paranoid to think that in a post Roe world, having an unresolved certificate of life could absolutely make you a target.”
Social Media Erupts With Disgust and Fear
Commenters shared their opinions on the bill, as well as their fears for the future. One shared, “I am so worried about this. For my daughters. For my granddaughters. Not a proud moment for Ohio.”
A nurse also chimed in with, “As a nurse who advocates for women’s health, I’m deeply concerned and frankly dismayed. Our patients deserve better than this.” And drag women through litigation for a body’s natural process.
One woman shared how she handles questions, “As a female in Ohio, I have an IUD and still, when a doctor asks about my period, I reply with ‘it was last week’. I’m too afraid to give away too much information. It’s terrifying.”
Sharing their genuine fears, the viral video resonated with both women and men on TikTok. Many are now watching closely as the bill progresses, hoping it will not be passed.
