Episode Transcript
[00:00:01] Before we begin, this episode contains content that some listeners may find sensitive. Listener discretion is advised.
[00:00:26] This is the Access Pregnancy Post Row podcast and I am Mia Braun.
[00:00:34] Over the next several weeks, we will be focusing on the women who abortion bans have directly impacted. The first lawsuit we will focus on is Zorawski versus State of Texas.
[00:00:48] This is a significant legal case that addresses the complexities of medical exceptions within Texas's restrictive abortion laws.
[00:00:59] This lawsuit includes 20 women and two doctors. We will highlight each plaintiff and the impact of Texas's abortion bans in the next few weeks.
[00:01:11] The lead plaintiff in this case is a woman named Amanda zyrowski from Austin, Texas.
[00:01:18] When Amanda was 18 weeks pregnant, she experienced preterm labor rupture of membranes. This refers to the breaking of the amniotic sac or the bag of waters before labor begins.
[00:01:32] The amniotic sac holds the amniotic fluid that surrounds and protects the developing baby. This means that her water broke too early, before 37 weeks.
[00:01:46] Once the amniotic sac ruptures, there's an increased risk of of infection for both the mother and the baby.
[00:01:55] Preterm labor rupture of membranes, or pprom, requires careful medical management to balance the risks of preterm birth with the risks of infection.
[00:02:09] Amanda was seen at a Catholic hospital in Austin but was denied abortion care because her doctors could stay still detect fetal cardiac activity.
[00:02:20] At 18 weeks, a baby's organs are still developing and they are not yet capable of functioning independently outside the womb. The lungs in particular are extremely underdeveloped, making it very difficult for the baby to breathe. Survival rates at 18 weeks are extremely low and if a baby does survive, they are at a very high risk of severe and long term health complications.
[00:02:51] Three days after being denied abortion care, Amanda started showing signs of infection and was diagnosed with sepsis which is a life threatening condition.
[00:03:03] Sepsis is a dangerous condition where the body's reaction to an infection becomes harmful, potentially leading to organ damage and death.
[00:03:15] Once Amanda was diagnosed with sepsis, doctors then performed an emergency induction abortion. However, she spent the next three days in the ICU fighting for her life.
[00:03:29] Amanda survived, but the infection caused one of her fallopian tubes to become permanently closed, which has compromised her future ability to have children.
[00:03:42] For Amanda to have children, she will be forced to turn to in vitro fertilization.
[00:03:49] Not only is IVF expensive, around $15,000 to $30,000 per single cycle and not guaranteed to work, it is very invasive and requires a great deal of time and effort to complete.
[00:04:06] Many steps are needed to complete one single round of ivf, which include monitoring egg retrieval, fertilization, and embryo transfer.
[00:04:18] In addition to IVF being time consuming, expensive, and not guaranteed to start a family, some abortion ban states are directly outlying IVF the legal implications of personhood laws and court interpretations pose a significant threat to IVF access.
[00:04:44] The lawsuit Zarawski vs. State of Texas centers on medical emergency exceptions within Texas's abortion bans. The plaintiffs argued that these exceptions are too vague and that they create a situation where doctors are afraid to provide necessary medical care to pregnant patients even when their health is at serious risk.
[00:05:11] This case aimed to clarify the scope of these medical exceptions and to allow doctors to use their professional judgment in determining when an abortion is medically necessary.
[00:05:24] The lawsuit involves women who were denied abortions despite facing severe pregnancy complications.
[00:05:33] Their experiences highlight the real world consequences of the state's abortion bans and the fear among doctors facing legal repercussions.
[00:05:46] The lawsuit of Zyrowski v. State of Texas challenges the interpretation and application of Texas's abortion laws, including the trigger ban that outlaws abortion and Senate Bill 8, which prohibits abortion after a fetal heartbeat is detected.
[00:06:06] The lawsuit focused on the fact that even though there are medical exceptions written into the laws, those exceptions are not clear enough and are causing doctors to refuse care even when that care is medically necessary.
[00:06:25] On May 31, 2024, Texas Supreme Court ruled in this case, refusing to clarify the exceptions to the state's abortion bans. The court rejected claims brought by the 20 women and two physicians who were denied abortions despite dire pregnancy complications.
[00:06:48] The court declined to provide a clearer definition of the medical emergency exceptions within the state's abortion bans. This leaves doctors with continued uncertainty about when they can legally provide abortion care.
[00:07:06] This means that the vagueness of the exception remains. Doctors are still at risk of legal repercussions if they make a judgment call that is later deemed incorrect.
[00:07:20] In essence, Zarawski vs State of Texas was a legal challenge that sought to ensure pregnant individuals in Texas can receive necessary medical care even in the face of restrictive abortion laws.
[00:07:38] This case highlights the real world consequences of restrictive abortion laws and it underscores the tension between state abortion bans and the need to protect patients health.
[00:07:53] Because the Texas Supreme Court ruled against the plaintiffs and refused to clarify medical exceptions in abortion bans, it causes a large concern for the health and safety of pregnant women in Texas.
[00:08:10] We will dedicate our next mini episode to the narratives of the additional women in this legal action detailing the consequences of the Texas abortion ban.
