Patients May Not Receive Miscarriage Care in a Post-Roe America

Texas could be a sign of how a post-Roe America would be managed.

Anna was 19 weeks pregnant when her waters broke on her wedding night. It was too early for the baby to have a chance of survival. Anna was going to lose her child and INRDeals INRDeals INRDeals INRDeals INRDeals INRDeals INRDeals INRDeals INRDeals INRDeals INRDeals INRDeals INRDeals INRDeals INRDeals INRDeals INRDeals INRDeals INRDeals INRDeals INRDeals INRDeals INRDeals INRDeals INRDeals INRDeals INRDeals INRDeals INRDeals INRDeals INRDeals INRDeals INRDeals INRDeals INRDeals INRDeals INRDeals INRDeals INRDeals INRDeals INRDeals INRDeals INRDeals INRDeals INRDeals INRDeals INRDeals INRDeals INRDeals INRDeals The strict abortion laws that took effect in Texas in September of that year only allowed ending a pregnancies if there was a danger of death or serious impairment of a major bodily function. Anna was left with no choice but to fly to Colorado to receive care. She booked front-row seats to be close to the bathroom if she went into labor on the flight.

Anna's case is likely to be the last if it is overturned.

They are offered three options by their caregivers: medication to cause the tissue to pass out of the womb, surgery, or both. The standard of care is to end the pregnancy with medication.

On top of the emotional turmoil, they can take a turn for the deadly. The wait-and-see approach is riskier than the other two because of the pregnant person's safety. If the tissue doesn't pass, it can lead to sepsis, where the immune system overreacts and begins to attack the body's tissues. If you don't pass all of the tissue, you're more likely to have a life-threatening blood-clot complication called disseminated intravascular coagulation, which can happen if you wait too long to remove the uterus.

There are laws in 13 US states that would immediately outlaw abortion. It is up to the doctor to decide if the pregnant person is at risk of dying.

Penalties for calling a case too soon or not fitting the risk criteria could range from hefty fines to suspension of their medical license to life in prison, because of the vagueness of the laws.