For Immediate Release: March 21, 2024
Contact: [email protected]
Abortion Lobby Misinformation Threatens Women’s Lives
Austin, Texas – The nation’s leading political pro-life group is urging the Texas Medical Board to adopt ‘Med Ed’ rules to protect pregnant women from abortion industry misinformation. The board is scheduled to take up a request for the clarification of Texas’ ‘life of the mother’ provision on Friday morning in a public hearing.
SBA Pro-Life America is recommending the board adopt rules educating doctors to rely on their “reasonable medical judgment” – a phrase present throughout state statute that has previously passed the test of Texas courts as a practical standard. Texas courts have also upheld references to a ‘reasonably prudent physician’ in malpractice cases to take training and knowledge into account. Both standards apply under Texas’ pro-life law, according to SBA.
Sue Liebel, midwestern regional director for SBA Pro-Life America, who will offer comment in front of the board on Friday, said:
“Texas law is clear. Under the state’s pro-life protections, doctors can provide pregnant women who experience an emergency with the proper care. We know doctors by-and-large understand this because the state’s abortion data shows that abortions under the life of the mother provision have continued at the same rate each month post-Dobbs.
“Unfortunately, there have been instances where the lies of the abortion lobby and misleading headlines from the media have caused confusion for doctors This misinformation is putting lives in danger. We call on the Texas Medical Board and Gov. Greg Abbott to do all within their power to enact ‘Med Ed’ solutions to make the truth of women’s ability to receive emergency care abundantly clear to healthcare workers and the public.”
Ingrid Skop, M.D., FACOG, vice president and director of medical affairs for Charlotte Lozier Institute and a practicing OB-GYN in Texas, said:
“Texas law protects both unborn babies and their mothers. A doctor may use their reasonable medical judgment to determine when to intervene when a pregnancy complication poses a risk to a mother’s life or substantial impairment of a bodily function. Sadly, media misinformation has caused confusion among some doctors, who rely on guidance from their professional organizations. I look forward to much-needed guidance from the Texas Medical Board to eliminate the unnecessary confusion and reassure doctors, especially considering they aren’t receiving that clarity from the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecologists. We must ensure that Texas women continue to receive informed consent and quality medical care in emergencies.”
Last month, South Dakota became the first state in the nation to pass a Med Ed bill to end the confusion caused by the abortion industry through direct education to medical professionals. Other states have taken similar steps administratively, including Oklahoma and Kentucky attorneys general who have issued advisory opinions.
Under South Dakota’s HB 1224, training materials will be established through the Department of Health and with input from the attorney general, medical professionals and legal experts. The video will cover the details of the state’s abortion law, the most common medical conditions that threaten the life or health of a pregnant woman, the standards of care for treating a pregnant woman in a medical emergency, and a practitioner’s ability to use reasonable medical judgment in all situations.
Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America is a network of more than one million pro-life Americans nationwide, dedicated to ending abortion by electing national leaders and advocating for laws that save lives, with a special calling to promote pro-life women leaders.
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