Posts claim unmarried Tennessee woman was denied prenatal care. Here's what we know

In late July 2025, a claim spread online that a Tennessee woman was denied prenatal care on account of her marital status. 

The rumor spread through posts on X, Reddit and Facebook, including an X post from Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vermont. Snopes readers also wrote in to ask about the claim, whether the aforementioned woman shared her story at a town hall and whether doctors can deny care to unwed patients. 

It is accurate to say that at a July 17 town hall, a Tennessee woman alleged that her doctor refused to provide prenatal care because she was not married due to the Tennessee Medical Ethics Defense Act (also known as the MED Act), which allows health care providers to deny services based on personal beliefs. However, the woman has not shared her name or verifiable details with the media and the purported doctor has not come forward. As such, we cannot rate the truthfulness of the claim as of this writing. 

Jennifer Easton, spokesperson for the Tennessee House of Representatives' Republican Caucus, said in an email that the MED Act "specifically focuses on procedures, treatments or services and not the individual patient, their lifestyle, their demographics, nor any group protected under the Civil Rights Act." Thus, Easton said she "did not believe that the claim falls under the intent nor the language of the bill." 

However, Easton also noted that marital status is not a demographic protected from discrimination and "physicians are not prohibited from limiting their clientele or patient selection unless otherwise guided by another law." In other words, it is theoretically legal to deny care based on marital status, but Easton said the MED Act does not change the law around this particular incident. 

"Our office would be happy to work with the woman making the assertion to verify the information and help her navigate the health care system," Easton added. 

Allegation made at town hall 

The woman appeared to first tell her story in public at a "Town Hall of Unheard Voices" in Jonesborough, Tennessee, coordinated in part by the Washington County Democratic Party. 

A video of the full town hall was available online; the woman, who did not share her name, began speaking about her experience at 1:25:36. Here's what she said: 

To bring it back to a local level, the Tennessee Medical Ethics Defense Act that was passed — [to] kind of back up a little bit. In 2022, I was diagnosed with cervical cancer. My provider was hesitant to treat me because of the impact it could have on my fertility. Now, I just found out I'm pregnant again. I've been with my partner for about 15 years, though we're not married. I just had my first visit. That provider told me that thanks to that act, they were not comfortable treating me because I am an unwed mother and that goes against their Christian values. 

I'm lucky enough to live in a part of the state where I can seek care across state lines, and that's what I'm doing. Traveling to Virginia, traveling to Virginia for my prenatal care, scared out of my mind that I will go into labor and not be able or have to deliver in this state with a provider who feels that child's life is more valuable than mine. While I do love and want this child, I also have a 13-year-old and I can't leave her behind. 

Independent journalist Rachel Wells reported on the woman's story for her publication, TN Repro News, on July 18, resulting in more attention from state and national news outlets. Wells wrote that the woman told her she filed complaints with the Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance and the American Medical Association. In an email, the state department told Snopes it does not have oversight of physicians, and Easton said the Tennessee House Republican Caucus has "been informed that no such complaint has been filed." A spokesperson for the American Medical Association, Kelly Jakubek, said in an email that she was "not aware of such a complaint received by AMA" and noted "all complaints against physicians should be submitted to individual state medical licensing boards for investigation." 

TN Repro News also reported that the woman said she wanted to see a local provider to "support local businesses" as a proud Tennessean, but after "being denied care by the provider nearby, she felt it was the last straw and clearly illustrated the need to go out of state in order to get the best care." 

In a July 22 update to the story, Wells wrote that the woman "requested anonymity due to concerns about medical and professional retaliation in her rural community." 

"While TN Repro News has not identified the physician involved, the account reflects what legal and reproductive health experts say is a plausible outcome under Tennessee's Medical Ethics Defense Act," Wells said in the note. Snopes has not independently verified the identity of the woman Wells interviewed. 

What is the Tennessee Medical Ethics Defense Act? 

The Tennessee Medical Ethics Defense Act, signed into law by Republican Gov. Bill Lee on April 24, 2025, allows health care providers — including individuals, institutions and insurers — to refuse to participate in any services at odds with their personal beliefs, defined as their "conscience" in the legislation. 

Here are the relevant portions of the legislation on pages 1 and 3: 

(1) "Conscience": 

(A) Means the sincerely held ethical, moral, or religious beliefs or principles held by a healthcare provider; and 

(B) With respect to institutional entities or corporate bodies, is determined by reference to that entity or body's governing documents, including, but not limited to, ethical, moral, or religious guidelines, directives, mission statements, constitutions, articles of incorporation, bylaws, policies, or regulations

[…]

63-1-903. Conscience protection for healthcare providers. 

(a) (1) A healthcare provider must not be required to participate in or pay for a healthcare procedure, treatment, or service that violates the conscience of the healthcare provider.

The act also protects health care providers from civil lawsuits, criminal prosecutions or "discriminatory action" for refusing care based on their beliefs (pages 3 and 4). It does not apply to procedures, treatments or services governed by federal law, such as emergency medical treatment (Page 6). 

In sum ... 

A woman did, in fact, allege at a Tennessee town-hall meeting that her doctor denied her prenatal care because she was not married. The state's law, as of this writing, does allow health care providers to deny care based on personal beliefs, which theoretically opens the door to cases like this woman's. However, we cannot rate the truthfulness of this claim without more information.