Since 2022, critical medical care for pregnant women in Texas has been denied or delayed. Lack of clarity regarding when doctors can intervene and the harsh criminal and civil charges doctors face (including life in prison) for any perceived misjudgment are creating a crisis in women’s healthcare.
The Consequences
- Endangering mothers with pregnancy complications
- Denying critical care
- Driving OB-GYNs out of Texas
- Dissuading medical students, residents, and practicing doctors from coming to Texas
1
Clarifies
Medical emergency exception to allow terminations for threats to the mother’s life and major bodily functions, ensuring physicians can provide evidence-based care to women facing pregnancy complications.
2
Removes
Threat of criminal / civil repercussions when physicians, using their reasonable medical judgment, determine the medical emergency exception applies, remedying the chilling effect current laws have had on patient-physician communications and medical recruitment / retainment statewide.
3
Requires
The Texas Medical Board and the State Bar of Texas to offer education courses on the updated reproductive health laws to increase understanding by the medical/legal professions.
We applaud Senator Bryan Hughes and Representative Charlie Geren for filing The Life of the Mother Act to ensure physicians treating women with severe pregnancy complications can deliver timely, life-saving care without fear of criminal or civil repercussions. These bills will address the alarming trend of physicians leaving the state and high-caliber medical residents declining to train in Texas.
We are continuing to advocate for the addition of exceptions for fatal fetal abnormalities so that women and their families facing these devastating circumstances can make informed decisions with their medical teams and faith leaders. We will keep you updated on our progress.
The Data
- 8% of all pregnancies involve complications that, if left untreated, may harm the mother or the baby.
- This means more than 31,000 Texas mothers are especially vulnerable each year.
- Since these laws went into effect, the rate of sepsis, a life-threatening infection, has increased 55% in second trimester pregnancy loss hospitalizations.
- 1 in 333 pregnant women receive a fetal fatal abnormality diagnosis and face the heartbreaking reality that their child will not live past birth.
- Current Texas law forces a woman to carry a nonviable fetus to term.
- There were 255 additional infant deaths in Texas from 2021 to 2022, a staggering 13% increase in infant mortality (vs. 1.8% for the rest of the US).
- Deaths due to birth defects rose by 23% in Texas from 2021 to 2022, while the rest of the US saw a 3% decline.
- Pregnancies with fetal anomalies are associated with an increased risk of severe maternal morbidity (SMM), defined as any maternal ICU admission, transfusion, uterine rupture, or hysterectomy.
- For almost all anomalies, the risk of an SMM is 58% to 227% more likely.
- Of ~450 Texas OB-GYNs surveyed on the impact of state reproductive health laws:
- 76% believe they cannot practice according to evidence-based medicine.
- 60% fear legal repercussions from practicing evidence-based medicine.
- 21% have thought about or are planning to leave Texas to practice in another state.
- 13% are planning to retire early.
- 10% have already left Texas or are leaving their obstetrics practice or medicine altogether.
- In the 2023-2024 application cycle, Texas saw a 16% decrease in applications to OB-GYN residency programs and a 12% decrease across all specialties vs 0.4% increase / 0.6% decrease, respectively, across states where abortion remains legal.
- The state cannot afford to lose quality medical providers as 47% of Texas counties are already maternal care deserts and 60% of rural hospitals do not provide obstetric care due in part to a lack of physicians.
- Since these laws went into effect, Texas’ maternal death rate has increased 56% vs. an average 11% increase in other states.
- Texas ranks as the second worst-performing state in women’s health and reproductive care and has the highest number of maternal deaths nationwide.
- As 20% of women consider OB-GYNs to be their primary care providers, without enough OB-GYNs, women will be forced to forgo early detection and treatment of health issues, including cancer screenings.
- Of 600+ Texas republican primary voters surveyed in Sept. 2024, 75% support modifications to:
- Add exceptions for rape, incest, and fatal fetal abnormalities.
- Remove severe penalties for medical professionals.
66% of “top talent” (adults ages 18-64 with a college degree who are working full-time or looking for full-time work) says the Texas abortion ban would discourage them from working in the state.