The Texas near-total abortion ban continues to reveal its unintended consequences that are making childbirth in the state less safe and increasing the rates of infant and maternal mortality.
One factor that is making childbirth in Texas more dangerous is the impact the state’s new abortion laws are having on the OB/GYN workforce.
According to survey results released Tuesday, more than 70% of practicing OB/GYNs in Texas feel the near-total ban has negatively impacted their work, prohibiting them from providing high quality, evidence-based care for their patients. Also, one-in-five of those practicing medical personnel have considered leaving Texas, and 13% are planning to retire early as a result of the new restrictions.
This is according to The Texas OB/GYN Physician Workforce: Early Assessment of the Impact of Abortion Restrictions on the Workforce Pipeline conducted by Manatt Health Care, a health care consulting firm, which surveyed all Texas-based members of the professional association American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. They received responses from 450 practicing doctors and 47 medical residents.
Of physicians surveyed:
- 76% believe that they cannot practice medicine according to best practices/evidence-based medicine.
- 60% fear legal repercussions from practicing according to evidence-based medicine.
- 29% of respondents do not feel they have a clear understanding of the TX abortion laws.
- 44% indicated that they have thought about or have already changed how and/or where they practice as a direct result of the state’s new abortion restrictions.
- 13% are planning to retire early.
- 21% have thought about it or are planning to leave Texas to practice in another state.
Of resident physicians surveyed:
- 57% of resident physicians indicated that the Texas abortion laws were relevant to their decision about whether to stay or leave the state after residency; half of this group indicated that they are planning to leave the state in part due to the laws.
Other key findings:
A significant majority of practicing OB/GYN physicians surveyed believe that the Texas abortion laws have inhibited their ability to provide highest-quality and medically necessary care to their patients.
As a result of Texas abortion laws, many Texas OB/GYN physicians and resident physicians are considering or have already made changes to their practices that reduce the availability of OB/GYN care in the state.
The release of the survey comes on the heels of a U.S. Supreme Court ruling on Monday that leaves in place a lower court’s ruling that prevents Texas hospitals from providing emergency abortion even when the mother’s life is in danger.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton called the decision “a major victory that will protect Texas medical providers from being forced to violate State law.”
However, there is already a provision in the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act, or EMTALA, that allows for doctors to opt out if they are personally opposed to abortion.
The Biden administration argued that the federal law requires emergency rooms to provide abortions if a pregnant patient’s health or life is at serious risk, even in Texas where the procedure is banned. But the law does not require hospitals to provide abortion to anyone who happens to want one. The procedure has to be medically necessary. So once again, Paxton grossly mischaracterized the requirements of the law when he claimed it would turn Texas hospitals into “abortion mills.”
Guests:
Dr. Darrell Kirch is a national advisor with Manatt Health.
Alex Morin is the managing director with Manatt Health.
Rep. Donna Howard is an Austin Democrat and is the chairwoman of the Texas Women's Health Caucus.
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*This interview was recorded on Tuesday, October 8, 2024.
