Abortion (DNC): On Friday, June 24, 2022, the US Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, the 50-year-old, landmark piece of legislation that made access to an abortion (DNC) a federal right in the United States. The conservative SCOTUS returned the authority to each state. In the Southern RED states, they took the opportunity to pass stricter abortion laws, with a 12-week or less ban on abortion. Most women would not find out if they were pregnant until after the hard deadline dates. However, they do not address several issues that came up. How do they handle a pregnancy due to rape or incest? The state legislature is requiring her to carry the fetus to term, to be given up for adoption. What if the woman was but a child as early as 10 years old? In July of 2022, a 10-year-old Ohio girl had to cross state lines to receive an abortion in Indiana. Ohio was forcing her to carry her pregnancy to term and give the child up for adoption. In the process, the state of Indiana went after the doctor who performed the procedure. Even when Donald Trump was President, he stated there must be some form of punishment towards the mother and/or Doctors who performed the abortion.
Ectopic or tubal pregnancy, how do they handle them? These examples will not end with a live birth. If they are already past the 12-week abortion ban, the woman would not be allowed to terminate it, and have to carry the pregnancy to miscarriage. These two common examples can cause massive abdominal pain and even loss of reproductive organs. Unfortunately, many RED states require the mother’s life must be in danger to intervene. Loss of reproductive organs, cannot be the primary reason for an abortion.
Another example is a Texas woman, Kate Cox, who in December 2023 needed an emergency DNC under the medical exception provision. She was denied by the State of Texas. She pleaded with the State Supreme Court but was denied again. She wanted this child but it was not going to be viable. She also wanted to protect her future fertility. Her lawyers announced she was leaving the state to terminate her non-viable pregnancy. The Texas courts ruled that neither she nor her husband or OB/GYN should be criminally or civilly penalized for terminating her pregnancy. The Texas Attorney General filed an emergency petition to reverse the ruling. Meanwhile, Cox’s condition was deteriorating and the emergency room could not do anything. For her health, she left the state to get the procedure. Even with her life in peril, it appears she has to be on her deathbed to receive the proper care. This appears to be a common case example. Abortion is a very delicate subject, never black or white. In this writer’s opinion, this decision should be between a woman, her family, and her doctor. The courts should have no say on the subject. With the 2024 election closing in, this may be the hottest topic on the ballot. Former President Donald Trump is taking credit for overturning Roe v. Wade. The current President Biden, is promising to codify Roe v. Wade, but will need help with control of the US Senate.
With these decisions, OB/GYNs are leaving the RED states to avoid conflict or prosecution. This puts women’s health in jeopardy, with fewer doctors available to them. To this date, Kate Cox is not certain she can have another child.