Anyone offering abortions in Texas could now be served a life sentence

Following the overturning of Roe V Wade, millions of people have lost access to abortions.

Not only did the decision deprive people of basic medical care, but now the trigger laws in some states, including Texas, have made performing abortions a felony.

As of Friday 25 August, Texas could hand life in prison to any healthcare professional found to be performing the procedure.

For those unfamiliar with what's happening in the US right now, back in June, the United States Supreme Court decided to overturn the 49-year-old Roe V Wade ruling that granted millions of people the legal right to abortion.

The court ruled in favour of the state in the Dobbs v Jackson Women's Health Organisation case, in which the state of Mississippi argued for a new law that would ban abortion after 15 weeks of pregnancy, overturning the Roe V Wade ruling.

As of today, it’s now a felony, punishable by life in prison, for a doctor to perform an abortion in Texas—even in cases of rape, incest, or if the patient’s life is at-risk.

— Sawyer Hackett (@SawyerHackett) August 25, 2022

Following this, some states introduced new restrictions, or bans on abortions, while others have reactivated dormant (trigger) laws that make abortion access illegal, possibly even when conception occurred as a result of rape or incest.

One such state where access has become illegal is Texas, where the trigger law was enacted this past Thursday 24 August, and came into effect the following day. The trigger law reportedly only carries slim exceptions in cases of saving the pregnant person's life.

Speaking of the trigger law, Texas-based doctor Dr. Bhavik Kumar told Truth Out: "What’s important to note here with this trigger law — like you said, it has penalties of life in prison, fines of $100,000 — is that it adds another boulder, another weight onto healthcare providers’ shoulders as they try to navigate what they can and can’t do, think about who they need to contact, whether it’s attorneys in a hospital or an emergency room, contacting an ethics committee."

The doctor went on to add that the new trigger laws made their job much harder: "As a healthcare provider, as a physician, when I’m thinking about taking care of a patient, the last thing I should be thinking about is which attorney I need to ask, which law I need to consider, what the penalties may be, as I go through options with a patient."

The trigger laws make it even harder for people in the US to get abortions, with those wanting to terminate pregnancy already having to cross state lines to access basic health care.

For help, support and advice about abortion, contact the National Abortion Federation on 1-800-772-9100, EST 8am-7pm EST Monday to Friday or EST 8am-4pm EST Saturday to Sunday