🧵Mylissa was 18 wks pregnant when her water broke early. She was told her baby wouldn't survive birth & trying to postpone delivery wouldn't improve outcomes. Drs recommended ending the pregnancy (standard for miscarriage before viability) but abortions are banned in MO. (1/6)
Her doctors could only intervene if her baby died or if her health declined to the point of “medical emergency”, which is not well-defined by the law. She could tell her doctors wanted to do more for her, but were also trying to protect themselves. (2/6)
Her state senator’s aide connected her w/ an anti-abortion clinic, unhelpful for her case. He said he’d contact the Attorney General but she never heard back. She sought care in a few other states and finally traveled to a clinic in Illinois that accepted her for care. (3/6)
🧵An OH woman went into labor too early for her baby to survive & was hemorrhaging. Due to OH’s abortion ban, the OB-GYN couldn’t help her until her baby died. Then they could do a D&E, but the assisting resident hadn’t been trained due to OH’s ban. (1/6)
Since the Dobbs decision, Doctors seeking abortion training is increasing, but in states where abortion is banned, hospitals can’t teach doctors how to perform them. It’s estimated that 44% of OB-GYN residents in the US will lose access to abortion training. (2/6)
Doctors who want more training are having a hard time finding places to do so, as more states are implementing bans & closing clinics. Abortion is one of the most common medical procedures, but training is absent from ½ of US med schools. (3/6)
🧵Remember the pregnant 10yo rape victim in OH who had to leave the state to get an abortion? Now we’re learning about more girls and women just like her. Affidavits filed in a new lawsuit against OH’s strict abortion law share dozens of similarly heartbreaking stories. (1/5)
2 more minors were pregnant after being sexually assaulted.
2 women with cancer were refused their cancer treatment.
3 women whose babies had abnormalities so severe, they would not survive.
All had to travel out-of-state for care. (2/5)
3 women had debilitating health effects from pregnancy.
3 women threatened suicide.
Others threatened to take matters into their own hands when clinics couldn’t help them. (3/5)