Abortion

Looking Beyond ‘Whole Woman’s Health’: Challenges Remain in Dozens of States

Even if we are able to celebrate a favorable outcome in the case Monday, the battle for reproductive health will continue in dozens of states across the country.

Politicians have adopted a variety of creative approaches to limit abortion access. Lauryn Gutierrez / Rewire

Read more of our coverage of Whole Woman’s Health v. Hellerstedt here.

Reproductive health physicians are nervously awaiting the Supreme Court’s decision in Whole Woman’s Health v. Hellerstedt this week. Rightly so: the outcome of this case will dramatically affect the ability to access safe, legal abortions in Texas, and could extend to other states with restrictions that are similar to HB 2, the law at the heart of the case.

But we also recognize that even if we are able to celebrate a favorable outcome in the case, the battle for reproductive health will continue in dozens of states across the country.

The two provisions of HB 2 before the Court are presented by supporters as improvements to abortion safety and protective of women. But the reality is quite contrary to this. For one thing, abortion is already one of the safest medical procedures; women do not need to be “protected” by politicians.

For another, the requirements imposed by the lawmandating that abortion providers have admitting privileges at a local hospital and forcing abortion facilities to meet ambulatory surgical center (ASC) standards—do not directly or indirectly have a positive affect on the care provided before, during, or after abortion.

In practice, these targeted regulation of abortion providers (TRAP) requirements only restrict access to abortion. Few clinics have the resources needed to make the costly (and medically unnecessary) updates needed for ASC standards, and physicians can be refused hospital admitting privileges for a wide range of reasons unrelated to the quality of care that they provide.

Instead of improving care, TRAP law restrictions cause clinics to close, and prevent qualified, trained, experienced, dedicated health professionals from providing abortions to patients who need them. Fewer abortion providers means that some will have to wait much longer for their abortions, delaying care until later in pregnancy when the risk of complications—although still small—is increased.

TRAP laws also make abortion completely inaccessible for some women. The reasons can be complicated, involving factors such as geographical limitations, prohibitive cost of travel, and inability to obtain child care or take additional time off work. Regardless of the cause, the result is the same: Abortion restrictions force some women to carry their pregnancies to term, actually exposing them to greater risks associated with pregnancy and childbirth.

Not surprisingly, these laws disproportionately affect low-income women, only heightening the disparities that they already face day-to-day.

Even as our eyes are turned toward the Supreme Court, we must remember that Texans are not the only ones facing restrictions on their ability to access abortion care. Similar TRAP laws have been passed in other states, and in some cases, their implementation will depend on the outcome of Whole Woman’s Health. In addition, lawmakers have adopted a variety of creative approaches to limit abortion access.

In Indiana, state legislators passed a bill that would ban abortion for specific reasons; that law is awaiting judicial review. In Utah, a new law forces doctors to provide anesthesia to the fetus in an abortion performed after 20 weeks, despite there being no medical method for doing so and despite robust evidence that at that stage in development, a fetus does not feel pain. In Kansas and Oklahoma, state lawmakers banned physicians from using the preferred procedure for second-trimester abortion, subjecting women to less-than-standard methods; despite these laws currently being enjoined, five other states have followed suit.

None of these attacks are grounded in medicine, none of them are supported by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) or the American Medical Association, and unfortunately, none of them would be struck down by a favorable decision from the Supreme Court. Even if access is restored in parts of Texas, advocates cannot rest on our laurels.

OB-GYNs do not have to be abortion providers in order to see the significant effect that an unintended pregnancy can have on overall health and well-being. We do not have to provide abortions ourselves in order to recognize that access to abortion is essential for the patients whom we provide care for every day.

As an OB-GYN and the president of ACOG, I remain hopeful and optimistic that we will see access to abortion restored and protected nationwide. But I urge reproductive health advocates to remain vigilant as state politicians continue to strip away access to care.