Texans Still Need Abortions, Forced to Leave State for Healthcare

Doctors Left Without Direction, Limited to Invasive Procedures

TEXAS – On Friday, the Texas Medical Board released new guidance for medical practitioners on exceptions to our near-total state abortion ban, just days ahead of the second anniversary of the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision which overruled Roe v. Wade and 51 years of precedent protecting abortion rights.

The new rules did not change much, including an update on reporting requirements, adding only a week of time to document their medical judgements, putting their license and life on the line. We need better protections now for pregnant people in Texas and other Republican-dominated states where doctors and their patients are put in extreme danger, threatened with prison for life or forced to leave the state to avoid invasive, life-threatening procedures instead of the now limited, but safer, option to an abortion.

“Extremists are putting Texans in harm's way by limiting access to abortion and targeting our doctors’ judgment,” said Tatum Owens, Advocacy Associate at Progress Texas. “Lizelle Gonzalez endured a forced C-section because her doctors opted to deliver her stillbirth instead of providing safer, much less invasive abortion care. Kate Cox had to flee the state to receive healthcare. Amanda Zurawski went into septic shock. We must vote in November to stop the stream of preventable horror stories from trapped and tortured Texans.”

“Let Texas serve as a warning to all Americans — there is worse to come with the threat of a national abortion ban, should convicted felon Donald Trump be elected,” said Reagan Stone, Advocacy Manager at Progress Texas. “It is imperative for us to vote for our freedoms and our futures, when we vote for our abortion and civil rights in November.” 

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