Any day now, the Supreme Court will rule on the largest abortion case in decades. The case revolves around medically unnecessary restrictions that are part of Texas’ clinic shut-down law, known as HB2. The results could be devastating. If the Court rules the wrong way, the 5.4 million women in Texas could be left with only nine providers of safe and legal abortion.
Meanwhile, other states have passed similar targeted restrictions on abortion providers (TRAP laws), which have dramatically reduced some women’s access to safe, legal abortion. Anti-abortion politicians insist that laws like HB2 “improve patient safety” — but the reality is that TRAP laws have unfair and sometimes heartbreaking consequences for those seeking abortion. Hear real people describe how TRAP laws impacted their lives:
Tiffany
Financial obstacles to accessing safe and legal abortion forced Tiffany to look elsewhere.
"...I had to resort to buying an unprescribed [abortion] medication off a website... I took the medication without supervision of a nurse and ended up going to the ER for continual bleeding. It was extremely unsafe."
Amanda
Amanda had to jump through hoops in order to obtain a safe and legal abortion.
“Missouri has only one abortion clinic that provides surgical abortions. I had to drive two hours to the St. Louis Planned Parenthood for an initial appointment, [and] wait the required 72 hours... I also had to pay for my abortion out-of-pocket because my insurance didn't cover the costs."
Cindy
Cindy’s abortion may have saved her life.
“My ObGyn was the chief physician at our local hospital. He advised me to “not continue” my pregnancy… I was left to go 80 miles away and get services of Planned Parenthood for an abortion. [My doctor] could not bring himself to say the word abortion, or specifically explain how to “not continue” the pregnancy.”
Jennifer
Jennifer had to endure a 48-hour waiting period before she could obtain a safe, legal abortion.
“I had an abortion in Alabama. I had to travel an hour and a half to get to the facility to make the appointment. Then return after the waiting period.”
Abby
Abby had to terminate her pregnancy due to health complications with an eating disorder.
“Because I lived in Texas… the waits at any clinic I could find kept me from being able to get birth control. I discovered I was pregnant in April... The only clinic I could get to was hours away, and they did not perform abortions there. In a panic, I went online and researched methods of terminating pregnancy, and discovered that I could buy the ‘medical abortion’ pill from a Chinese pharmacy online.”
Join the Fight to Protect Safe, Legal Abortion Access
Here’s the thing you need to remember when it comes to TRAP laws that have hurt women like Abby, Cindy, Tiffany, Amanda, and Jennifer: Abortion has a 99% safety record.
In Whole Woman's Health v. Hellerstedt, the Supreme Court will soon decide if Texas’ HB2 constitutes an undue burden to women seeking safe, legal abortion.
What’s the best thing you can do right now?
Stay informed and text “HB2” to 69866 to receive a breaking news alert when the decision is handed down and join the Planned Parenthood Action Mobile Network! (You can text STOP to quit anytime. Data and standard message rates apply.)
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Marie Claire: The Devastating Impact of Abortion Restrictions in Missouri and Beyond
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