5/28/23

By Aditi Jha

A judge in South Carolina halted a law that, if implemented, would have banned most abortions in the state. The bill, called the "Fetal Heartbeat and Protection from Abortion Act", outlaws abortions at about six weeks, which is far before a majority of women even know that they're pregnant. A physician who knowingly breaks this law will have their license revoked by the State Board of Medical Examiners and may face jail time, fines and felony charges. Many southern states have implemented abortion bans after Roe v. Wade, the case protecting a nationwide right to abortion, was overturned last year. The Republican governor of South Carolina, Henry McMaster, filed an emergency motion trying to get the Supreme Court to expedite the case. Planned Parenthood South Atlantic President and CEO Jenny Black said, "Today the court has granted our patients a welcome reprieve from this dangerous abortion ban. Our doors remain open, and we are here to provide compassionate and judgment-free health care to all South Carolinians. While we have a long fight ahead, we will not stop until our patients are again free to make their own decisions about their bodies and futures." In 2021, South Carolina passed a similar abortion ban of six weeks, but the Supreme Court of the state struck it down, saying that North Carolina's privacy protections say that women should be allowed enough time to know if they are pregnant and make the choice to end it. Just last week, lawmakers in North Carolina voted to continue a law that banned abortions after 12 weeks. Abortion bans are having a profound effect on the country that MedPageToday calls "a medical 'brain drain'", in which physicians are choosing not to work in states that have abortion restrictions. A survey was conducted in February of this year with over two thousand physicians, in which 76% of respondents said that they wouldn't even apply to work or train in states with abortion bans. The study's authors wrote an opinion article in March, saying that "in other words, many qualified candidates would no longer even consider working or training in more than half of U.S. states." A study from the Association of American Medical Colleges found that states with abortion bans had a large decline in medical school seniors applying for their residencies in 2023, in comparison to states without bans. Applications for OBGYN residencies were in decline in the country as a whole, but the decline in states with abortion bans was 10.5% compared to the decline of 5.2% in states without those bans. That's over twice as much of a decline. This is having a detrimental effect on hospitals that are short-staffed. A hospital in Idaho, Bonner General Health, discontinued its labor, delivery, and other obstetrical services. The city of Sandpoint has over 9000 residents, who will now have to drive 46 miles for the nearest labor and delivery care. The hospital said that the elimination of its obstetrics unit was because of Idaho's "political climate." "Highly respected, talented physicians are leaving. Recruiting replacements will be extraordinarily difficult. We have made every effort to avoid eliminating these services. We hoped to be the exception, but our challenges are impossible to overcome now." The hospital continued to say that the Idaho legislature "continues to introduce and pass bills that criminalize physicians for medical care nationally recognized as the standard of care." This is happening as the state of Texas is being sued by women who say that the six-week abortion ban put their lives at risk. Performing an abortion in Texas is a felony. The enforcement of one of Texas' laws, S.B. 8, depends on citizens suing other citizens whom they believe were involved in providing abortions. NPR says that the threats of jail time and fines make doctors in Texas worried about even saying the word 'abortion' in their clinics. 

That's the news for today! Stay safe!