Misleading Statements About “Life of the Mother” Exceptions in Pro-life Laws Require Correction
Mary Harmed, J.D., and Ingrid Skop, M.D., in this article, correct misleading statements in a recent Obstetrics & Gynecology article. No state has an abortion law that is a total ban on abortion. Every state law permits abortion when necessary to save a mother’s life. Texas law does not require an “imminent” risk and allows a doctor to use his “reasonable medical judgment” to determine if an abortion is necessary to prevent a “risk” of maternal death. Similarly, Idaho allows a doctor to use his “good faith medical judgment” to determine when to intervene, without need for “immediacy.”