Texas on average used to see 4,400 abortions performed per month. After Dobbs overturned Roe v. Wade, only five women a month in a state that has 10% of the women of reproductive age in the entire country were able to secure these medical services. Research shows some months there were no abortions performed, but no month had more than ten.
Performing an abortion in the Lone Star State can result in punishment of up to life in prison. The only exception to the abortion ban is if the life of the mother is at risk. The article recounts stories of women going into sepsis waiting for doctors to decide their life was fully at risk enough to perform an abortion without facing criminal charges or loosing their medical license. There are also examples of the Texas Supreme Court ruling against a woman whose doctor previously said she needed an abortion for her health and future fertility. Due to ridiculous findings like this, more than 35,000 Texans fled the state (most to New Mexico) to seek medical treatment in 2023 alone. Many women seek abortion-inducing medication from out-of-state doctors or even out-of-country doctors who send the pills to the patients through the mail. While mailing the drugs to the state is illegal, the law has not been tested in court.
Small towns in the state are passing laws to prevent people from using public roads to transport anyone over the state line for an abortion. Further efforts have been made to sue women for wrongful death. These cases are also in the judicial pipeline right now. Teen pregnancies in the state have gone up the first time in decades and evidence shows hispanic women have had the highest increase in unwanted pregnancies. Additionally, infant deaths are on the rise. The article summarizes initial reprocussions through 2023.
One can only assume that as the years pass, more mothers will die, more infants will die, more children will be born that were not wanted and it is highly unlikely the parents can afford to raise the child. Texas needs to focus on its citizens' medical needs. Here's a thought, ask the citizens of the state if they want a harsh ban on this kind of medical service. Most conservative states that have put this issue to a vote, have been shocked that the citizens want women to have the right to make the choices that affect their bodies.
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