AUSTIN, Texas — Five women denied abortions in Texas despite having dangerous pregnancy complications sued the state in a lawsuit that could provide the first clarity on when doctors can legally perform the procedure.
The lawsuit, filed Monday by attorneys with the Center for Reproductive Rights, details “catastrophic harms” the women suffered as they navigated the state’s near-total abortion ban.
One of 13 states to outlaw the procedure outright, Texas provides only one exception – for medical emergencies. But the suit contends the language is unclear, and doctors fearful of incurring $100,000 fines and criminal prosecution, are turning patients away.
