Texas Supreme Court rejects pregnant woman’s unprecedented challenge to abortion ban
A pregnant woman in Texas who was diagnosed with a fatal fetal condition has left the state in order to have an abortion, after the Texas Supreme court rejected her challenge of the state’s highly restrictive abortion ban. Kate Cox, 31, a mother of two from Texas, was denied legal permission by the state to have an abortion even after authorities were told her health and ability to have more children was putting her at risk. The lawsuit raised the question of whether Texas’ abortion ban posed a risk to Cox’s health in light of her unborn child’s rare trisomy 18 condition. This condition commonly results in a low survival rate. Despite this, it did not meet the conditions for an exception under this ban, according to the state Supreme Court.
Cox, who was 20 weeks and six days pregnant, was believed to be the first woman in the U.S. to ask a court for an abortion since Roe v. Wade was overturned last year.
Texas’ heavily restrictive abortion laws also received outraged responses from opponents like Nancy Northup, who believe that the case is a test for bans in Texas and a dozen other GOP-controlled states, where abortion is prohibited at nearly all stages of pregnancy. The ruling has also sparked fears and concerns for pregnant individuals in Texas who face potential health risks. Especially given Texas’ aggressive and incessant defenses against Cox, physicians and medical experts are being placed in ambiguous positions, jeopardizing health outcomes for pregnant individuals in the state.
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