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Abortion is illegal in Texas, even in cases of incest or rape. The only exception: danger to life or disability for the mother.
Published on May 12, 2023 10:55 p.m
Reading time: 1 min
A sign reading “Keep your politics out of my body” used during a pro-abortion demonstration in Houston, Texas (USA), July 20, 2023. (REGINALD MATHALONE / NURPHOTO / AFP)
A 31-year-old American woman whose life and fertility are threatened by her pregnancy took legal action against the state of Texas on Tuesday, December 5, to demand the possibility of an abortion. According to the complaint, Kate Cox learned last week that her fetus has Down syndrome, meaning it is at risk of dying in utero. Even if the pregnancy goes to full term, there is a high chance that the baby will be stillborn or die a few days later.
In the summer of 2022, the United States Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade ruling, which guaranteed American women’s federal right to abortion for half a century. Texas has banned all abortions, including in cases of incest or rape. The only exception: if there is a risk of death or serious disability for the mother. But abortion rights advocates say the exceptions are too vague.
Because of the law, Kate Cox is unable to have an abortion and her doctors told her that her “hands are tied,” according to the complaint filed on her behalf by the Center for Reproductive Rights. Due to previous cesarean sections, inducing labor after fetal death carries a high risk of uterine rupture, which could result in fetal death or prevent future pregnancy if a hysterectomy is necessary.
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