SB8, the Texas law just passed and left in place by our partisan Supreme Court, not only violates abortion precedents, but also attempts to shield illegal statutes from the courts. This law is dangerous to our democracy and dangerous to public health. At least seven other states are reportedly looking to mimic the Texas law, and no doubt there will be more right behind them.
According to the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology, it is estimated that before the Roe v. Wade decision in 1973, up to 1.2 million U.S. women resorted to illegal abortion each year, and that unsafe abortions caused as many as 5,000 annual deaths, disproportionately affecting poor women and women of color.
The Texas bill will not reduce the number of abortions, but it will send pregnant people underground, risking their health and lives. The right I had to access a safe, effective, and timely abortion would not be possible under this new law. I want our children, siblings, parents, family members, and friends to have the same access when they need it.
At Health & Medicine, we are committed to standing with those who fight back against this regressive law and the ones that will follow. We support the organizations that will help women and all folks who can get pregnant find the healthcare they need and want. I hope you will stand with us—to that end here are some organizations you may want to contribute to:
Lilith Fund, Texas Equal Access Fund, Fund Texas Choice, Jane’s Due Process, Frontera Fund, Buckle Bunnies Fund, West Fund, the Bridge Collective, and Clinic Access Support Network are all abortion funds in Texas that are run entirely through community support and mutual aid.
The article here lists 20 organizations fighting the abortion ban.
We call on Congress and the Biden Administration to take quick and aggressive action using every lever possible, from the courts to federal legislation, to ensure that all pregnant people have full and safe access to abortion care, no matter where they live.
Margie Schaps, MPH
Executive Director