HCR Update from Mark Sanna: Bearing a child is still one of the most dangerous things a woman can do. It's the sixth most common cause of death among women age 20 to 34 in the United States. If you look at the black-box warning on a packet of birth control pills, you'll notice that at most ages the risk of death from taking the pills is less than if you don't take them—that's because they're so good at preventing pregnancy, and pregnancy kills. ... In the United States today, about 15 women die in pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births.