Because of the law, I very nearly died,” one of the women in the lawsuit said.
Five women in Texas are suing the state over its abortion laws, alleging that they were denied the ability to legally obtain the procedure even when their pregnancies presented a grave risk to their lives.
After the U.S. Supreme Court ruled to upend decades-old federal abortion protections last summer, Texas banned abortion in virtually all circumstances, supposedly making exceptions when a person’s life is at risk due to pregnancy.
Under Texas statutes, however, physicians can be fined up to $100,000 and be imprisoned for up to 99 years for performing an illegal abortion. Because of these penalties, physicians and other providers often refuse to provide the procedure, even in life-or-death emergencies.
