New Texas abortion laws would create ‘grave risks’ for women, court hears

If passed, the laws would close down many Texas abortion centers and 'disproportionally affect' lower income women

Health experts across Texas claim new laws are "out of touch" with modern health care practice (Rex)

Health experts in Texas are seeking to revoke two new laws on abortion which, if passed, would have ‘grave’ health risks by restricting access to clinics and would disproportionately affect women who earn a lower wage.

Nearly 60 leaders gathered to support the Center for Reproductive Rights, which is going to present its arguments to the Supreme Court on 2 March.

The submitted legal brief claims that two new state laws would make it even harder for women obtain abortions, violating the ‘undue burden’ test which was established in court in 1992.

The first law requires physicians who provide abortions to be able to directly admit their patients to a hospital within 30 miles of the clinic, without the approval of hospital staff, called “hospital admitting privileges”. This is despite the fact that an abortion is a medical procedure with no surgical component.

The second law is that abortion clinics must meet strict building standards designed for walk-in surgery.

The health experts argued these laws could lead women to seek later term abortions with increased risk, “face the serious mental and physical health risks of being forced to carry unwanted pregnancies to term, or resort to illegal abortions”.

“If the High Court upholds the Texas laws women there will be forced to travel very long distances for abortion care or will lose access to this service altogether,” said Susan F. Wood, PhD, Executive Director of the Jacobs Institute of Women's Health at Milken Institute School of Public Health at George Washington University in a statement. “Without access to safe, legal abortion care, women of reproductive age will face sharply increased health risks.”

The new laws would “disproportionally affect” lower income women who would have to travel long distances to access health care. Many clinics would shut down, leaving just 10 clinics in the state - a gap of 500 miles between San Antonio and New Mexico.

“Abortion is a safe and critical component of comprehensive reproductive care,” Ms Wood added. ”If the Texas laws stand, women will face significant risks, not only in Texas but across the nation as other states follow its lead.“