And now the Texas abortion law has created an additional bind, Cavazos explains. Cheng did not treat Hall, but has counseled patients facing similar situations. Methotrexate also is listed in the Texas law passed last year. ", As states ban abortion, the Texas bounty law offers a way to survive legal challenges, Texas conservatives have a plan to get around DAs who won't enforce abortion laws. State House Bill 2709, filed Thursday, would penalize individuals for the use of medication to cause abortion in the state of Texas, whether the pills were acquired at a local pharmacy or . In the meantime, Grossman said the delay and denial of care will likely become more common. In this chapter: (1) "Abortion" means the act of using or prescribing an instrument, a drug, a medicine, or any other substance, device, or means . "We shouldn't have been celebrating," Elizabeth says. Anyone can bring that civil action, posing a quandary for physicians and other providers. She called her doctor and begged to get in. I couldn't give you life. Elizabeth's pregnancy crisis began and ended weeks before June 24, when the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the federal right to abortion in its Dobbs v. Jackson ruling. You're trying to understand exactly what's going on. Immediately, they sensed hesitation from the doctor. A few weeks after Texas adopted the most restrictive abortion law in the nation, Dr. Andrea Palmer delivered terrible news to a Fort Worth patient who was . And it's this stupid, like, distinction that you're just making in this grief. She recalls looking at her baby's little hands and crying. But the hospital staff told her that those weren't the right symptoms, yet, of a growing infection in her uterus. You're not going to tell me that what I'm experiencing isn't real, again.". Dr. Ingrid Skop, a San Antonio obstetrician and member of the American Association of Pro-Life Obstetricians and Gynecologists, during a House Oversight Committee hearing in September. Elizabeth chose to go home rather than wait to get sick at the hospital. But as has been true in Texas and in many of the 12 other states where abortion is currently . That's not a good thing. Julia Robinson for NPR But I need you to tell me the truth, because I don't think all the positive things that they're telling me are real. An ectopic pregnancy, which occurs when a fertilized egg . Thats why Crawford said its important for patients to quickly seek medical care if they notice their pregnancy isnt progressing normally or they are bleeding. Even if the mothers life is saved, Dr. Moayedi added, she could require an emergency hysterectomy, or removal of the uterus, which would leave her infertile. 1, eff. Cheng, in San Antonio, said that even as she cautiously points her patients to their options out-of-state, shes well aware that many of them struggle to even make it to their appointments in-state. But he did not address the question of lethal fetal anomalies, which are fatal for the fetus during pregnancy or shortly after birth. And a tubal ectopic pregnancy, let's say, is clearly excluded. They stood up in the middle of the ER and embraced. Recently passed laws make abortion illegal after about six weeks into a pregnancy. No one really knows what the legislature means by that, and they are afraid of overstepping. "I was born with a physical disability. She never had to use that bag. It was just too hard, as she navigated a complicated mix of relief and grief. There is no treatment to stop a miscarriage once it has started, and miscarriages can become life-threatening to the pregnant patient if complications are untreated. How Every State Pro-Life Law Handles Ectopic Pregnancy and Miscarriage Texas police separate anti-abortion protestors from abortion supporters during the nationwide Women's March in Austin, Texas . They were just all shocked, like, Surely, theres an exception for this, Hall said. In retrospect, Elizabeth says their initial joy felt a little naive: "If it was so easy for us to get pregnant, then to us it was almost like a sign that this pregnancy was going to be easy for us.". For patients who are not pregnant, it can also open up the cervix and make surgeries safer, Crawford said. A fertilized egg can't survive an ectopic pregnancy and can result in life-threatening bleeding, according to the Mayo Clinic. Right away, she ran into obstacles because of the Texas law. Or what if the pregnancy wasnt viable? she said. At least several OB-GYNs in the Austin area received a letter from a pharmacy in late 2021 saying it would no longer fill the drug methotrexate in the case of ectopic pregnancy, citing the recent Texas laws, said Dr. Charlie Brown, an Austin-based obstetrician-gynecologist who provided a copy to KHN. She was bereft, unable to even process the news. The Biden administration last week told hospitals they must treat pregnant patients who need an abortion to stabilize a life-threatening condition. "partial-birth" abortions, medical abortions, the stage of a pregnancy at which an abortion can be performed, and informed consent related to abortions. Greg Abbott last year, not only bans abortion after six weeks of pregnancy but also deputizes citizens to enforce it, allowing any person to bring a . Hall and her husband left the specialists office in a daze. Every OB-GYN has cared for someone who has died from a hemorrhage, she said. In some cases, the infection can become severe or life-threatening, leading to sepsis, hysterectomy or even death. If patients run into trouble filling prescriptions, Thoppil and Crawford say they should try to find another pharmacy or talk to their health care provider. ", Her waters had broken, launching her into what she calls a "dystopian nightmare" of "physical, emotional and mental anguish." As Elizabeth recalled hearing, it was one particular doctor who had argued her case: "They found a doctor from East Texas who spoke up and was so patient forward, so patient advocating, that he said 'This is ridiculous.'". "I ripped my organs out" to avoid that, she said. But the point will be made by the Christian Taliban that women have only the value their reading of the Bible ascribed to them and no more. 7:49 PM on Jul 14, 2022 CDT. Treatment of ectopic pregnancy is not prohibited by Texas' abortion laws. As the Supreme Court appears poised to return abortion regulation to the states, recent experience in Texas illustrates that medical care for miscarriages and dangerous ectopic pregnancies would also be threatened if restrictions become more widespread. But the statutes dont account for complicated miscarriages, and confusion has led some providers to delay or deny care for patients in Texas. Other times patients don't report the problem and miscarry on their own, she said, but without medication they risk additional bleeding. 678, Sec. Starting last September, when the [ban on abortions after about six weeks of pregnancy] went into effect, we started getting calling from Texas and it hasnt stopped.. An ultrasound confirmed that she had suffered premature rupture of membranes, which affects about 3% of pregnancies. Aborting the embryo is often the best treatment for an ectopic . "Because I didn't want anybody to tell me they did not believe me," she says. "And she starts to cry and she tells me: 'They're not going to touch you.' I need you to give me the facts.'". Thaxton, who supervises the obstetrics-gynecology residents who have seen these patients, said sometimes the prescribing clinic will intervene, but it takes the patient longer to get the medication. Dr. John Thoppil, an obstetrician in Austin, doesnt perform abortions, providing prenatal care and delivering babies. Disclosure: Texas Medical Association and University of Texas at Austin have been financial supporters of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. "Abortion and pregnancy outcomes are under a microscopein a way we . Elizabeth was 18 weeks pregnant. The Texas Tribune Festival is almost here! Before they drove off, Elizabeth paused to do something. Either way, she saw nothing ahead but fear and grief prolonged, delayed, amplified. They had bought a house in Kingwood, a lakeside development in Houston. Most of these pregnancies end in miscarriage or stillbirth. Even in cases of rape or incest, we dont advocate for taking the life of an unborn child for the crime of the father, he said. But when she called, they told her that nausea and vomiting weren't among the symptoms they were looking for. But the new Texas law has profoundly affected his ability to practice. Elizabeth and James keep remembrances of their baby in a picture frame at home. Idaho, Tennessee and Texas will implement abortion bans in 30 days, according to the text of the laws. But the womans condition can quickly deteriorate, which is why physicians often prefer to offer an abortion. by Mara Mndez The pregnancy made it impossible to remove the device, Dr. Thoppil said. It is a horrible gamble that we are making Texas women go through.". As a result, she was checked into a hospital and underwent a D&C. However, after the overturn of Roe v. Wade in June 2022, abortion laws and restrictions are now implemented by state, resulting in trigger laws or complete bans. More often than not, they just say they lost the baby. In addition, he said, other Texas laws and the Roe v. Wade decision provide an exception to permit abortion if a pregnant person's life is in danger. Sign up for The Brief, our daily newsletter that keeps readers up to speed on the most essential Texas news. In this case, the woman had the means to travel, and she obtained an abortion in another state, an option unavailable to many low-income and working class women. About 10% to 20% of confirmed . I'm so sorry.". If an ectopic pregnancy has ruptured, the pregnant person needs care immediately because they could start bleeding and lose up to 2 liters up blood very quickly. Sept. 1, 1989. She wished she could make them answer for the states near-total ban on abortions after the overturning of Roe v. Wade just a few weeks prior. A previous version of this story incorrectly reported the name and location of a clinic. I'm so sorry,'" Elizabeth says. A wait for fetal death, or her own encroaching illness. But its not just the physical changes, but the emotional toll of knowing their baby is not going to survive and just waiting for something to happen so they can get the care they need.. From Thursday through Saturday, Sept. 22-24, in downtown Austin, TribFest attendees will enjoy three days full of mind-expanding events, conversations and panels featuring more than 350 big names including Chris Bosh, Pete Buttigieg, Liz Cheney, Annette Gordon-Reed and many others. Dr. John Thoppil, an obstetrician in Austin who is president of the Texas Association of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, said that shortly after the new law went into effect in September, a patient who relied on an intrauterine device for birth control became pregnant. ", And at this particular point in her life, pregnant for the first time at age 26, it was still somewhat abstract: "I had not been put in a position to where I had to weigh the real nuances that went into this situation. Pregnancies can be complicated by any number of medical conditions. Elizabeth was induced late Friday night, and the labor became painful enough that she had to get an epidural. The New Texas Abortion Law Is Putting Some Patients In Danger, A Michigan law from 1931 would make abortion a felony if Roe falls. Even before the passage of the two bills, existing Texas law stated that the act is not an abortion if it involves the treatment of an ectopic pregnancy which most commonly occurs when the pregnancy grows in the fallopian tube or to "remove a dead, unborn child whose death was caused by spontaneous abortion," he said, pointing to the statute. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune's journalism. 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