Alexis Arguello, who was 18 and approximately 22 weeks pregnant at the time of her abortion, died on Feb. 6, 2025, following blood clotting complications after a surgical abortion procedure performed at the Fort Collins Planned Parenthood, the coroner’s report released Tuesday said.Colorado has some of the most permissive abortion laws in the country, allowing abortion through all 40 weeks of pregnancy. As of 2023, the most up-to-date state data, there were nearly 14,700 abortions in Colorado, with roughly 3% after 21 weeks.
The autopsy report found that Arguello died from disseminated intravascular coagulation, or DIC, a rare but life-threatening blood clotting complication from surgical abortion procedures.
DIC can occur from amniotic fluid embolism, where fetal components and amniotic fluid enter the bloodstream and trigger an inflammatory response. Roughly 80% of amniotic fluid embolism cases result in DIC, according to the National Institutes of Health.
According to the autopsy, Arguello’s blood pressure dropped, and she experienced rapid heartbeats while in the waiting room after the surgical abortion was complete. She received blood transfusions while in the hospital, but treatment was insufficient.
