Across the state a new pattern has emerged: women are being rejected from receiving critical medical care. Whether they have an ectopic pregnancy–a nonviable fetus that can cause infection and bleeding–a miscarriage, or just want to schedule a routine early pregnancy ultrasound, women all over Texas are being turned away. This is due to the state government enforcing a full abortion ban and restrictions for medical intervention unless the woman is close to death, according to NBC News.
In 2022, a landmark decision was made by the Supreme Court to overturn Roe v. Wade, the half-century-old court case legally protecting abortion care. Because of this, abortion access is now controlled on a state-by-state basis, usually through state legislatures, not through voting. Texas bans abortion care in almost every circumstance as soon as a fetal heartbeat can be detected; no matter how early the pregnancy is. There are narrow exceptions to these laws such as the patient having a life-threatening condition and being at risk of death or “substantial impairment of a major bodily function” if the abortion is not performed, according to the Texas State Law Library. While Austin is a progressive city, it cannot override the state’s laws. Nonetheless, this doesn’t mean the Austin and Central Texas community is sitting passively.
Dr. Laura Dixon is the communications director at Resound Research for Reproductive Health (Resound Research), an Austin-based nonprofit research collaborative focused on emerging issues in reproductive health and policy. Dr. Dixon explained how the past two years have been different in fields of study and leadership, as they moved away from state-funded University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin).
“We transitioned from UT Austin and established ourselves as a nonprofit fiscally sponsored by the Tides Center,” Dr. Dixon said. “We are continuing to do the work we did as the Texas Policy Evaluation Project, including rapid response research that analyzes policy impacts. We have also expanded our portfolio to more national projects as well as vasectomy.”
Resound Research was founded in 2011, but became an independent collaborative after the overturning of Roe v. Wade in 2023, to help deliver accurate, scientifically backed information to women seeking pregnancy-related care, according to their website. Their main goal is to try to help expand the future possibilities of abortion care in Texas and nationwide.
“Our projects at Resound Research remain rooted in Texas because the impacts of reproductive health policies passed in the state are large in scale and often forecast policy changes in other states,” Resound Research stated on their website. “We are also attuned to the fact we need to work across state borders on a regional and national level to identify broad-reaching solutions that support comprehensive reproductive healthcare.”
Roe v. Wade is a unique case on the battlegrounds of both healthcare and politics, according to LASA junior Maya Graziano. However, she believes the decision for an abortion has no place in the latter.
“I believe that any medical decision about someone’s body should be up to their choice; it’s the choice that a family should make and not politics,” Graziano said. “Especially because most of the politicians making these decisions are white males, or just males in general, who don’t actually understand the emotional and personal impact on the decisions that they’re making.”
Another part of the issue revolves around abortion as potentially life-saving healthcare. Since the overturning, the nation’s maternal mortality rate has nearly doubled, from 17.4 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2018 to 32.9 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2021, according to the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology. Many miscarriage treatments have been denied, as well, due to their similarity to abortion procedures, putting even more women with pregnancy complications at risk, according to the National Library of Medicine. These outlooks show clear double standards compared to other medical procedures.
“It’s the same thing where if [a person] had cancer and they didn’t get proper access to radiation or chemo treatments, they would die,” Graziano said. “Several cancer patients choose not to receive chemo or radiation treatments. Nobody believes that we should force treatments on cancer patients. I don’t believe that we should force abortion restrictions on women either.”
Though nearly full abortion bans make the future of women’s health seem like a dire and increasingly monitored one, Dr. Dixon believes there is reason to believe communities in central Texas are finding hope. She mentioned how other cities have combated abortion bans, and how Austin can follow.
“A local movement against Prop A in Amarillo led by Amarillo Reproductive Freedom Alliance had a successful campaign this election day,” Dr. Dixon said. “Donating to abortion funds can also help people who need care.”
Prop A in the Amarillo local election is a proposition allowing anyone to bring a civil suit against someone who they think helped or intends to help an Amarillo citizen travel from Amarillo to another state where abortion is legal for the purpose of obtaining an abortion, according to the Amarillo Tribune. On November 5, it was rejected by voters; one way citizens fought back.
Changes in abortion rights affect all Americans, according to LASA senior Astrid Gothard, including young people. She believes it is imperative that youth inform themselves and fight for issues that they care about, especially when thinking about the future.
“The current administration won’t be around forever,” said Gothard. “I think being active in politics is definitely important. Some of us are going to go on and lead in the future, so learning as much as possible, being educated. I think the most important thing that we can do as young people is educate ourselves, know our beliefs, know the facts behind our beliefs, and be prepared to defend them and think for ourselves.”
