Texas woman whose foetus has fatal condition sues for abortion
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Mrs Kate Cox has been told by doctors she will have to wait until her baby dies inside her, owing to Texas' abortion laws.
PHOTO: AFP
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HOUSTON – A 31-year-old woman sued the state of Texas on Dec 5 to get an abortion for a pregnancy that she and her doctors say threatens her life and future fertility.
Mrs Kate Cox, a mother of two from Dallas-Fort Worth, learnt last week that her foetus has full trisomy 18, a genetic condition that means her pregnancy may not last until birth, and if it does, her baby would live at most a few days, according to the lawsuit.
Ultrasound scans revealed multiple serious conditions, including a twisted spine and irregular skull and heart development.
But because of the way Texas’ abortion law is formulated, her physicians told her their “hands are tied” and she will have to wait until her baby dies inside her, the filing brought on Mrs Cox’s behalf by the Centre for Reproductive Rights said.
Should the baby’s heart stop beating, doctors could offer her a labour induction – but because of her prior caesarean sections, induction carries a high risk of rupturing her uterus, which could kill her or prevent her from getting pregnant in future, if a hysterectomy is needed.
“It is not a matter of if I will have to say goodbye to my baby, but when. I’m trying to do what is best for my baby and myself, but the state of Texas is making us both suffer.
“I do not want to continue the pain and suffering that has plagued this pregnancy,” said Mrs Cox, who has been to three different emergency rooms in the past month because of severe cramping and unidentified fluid leaks.
Mrs Cox is joined in her lawsuit by her husband Justin – who is seeking a favourable legal ruling to ensure he will not be prosecuted for assisting his wife in getting an abortion – as well as by obstetrician-gynaecologist Damla Karsan, who says she is willing to terminate the pregnancy with court approval.
The Texas Supreme Court heard arguments last week in a case brought on behalf of two doctors and 20 women who were denied abortions even though they had serious – in some cases life-threatening – complications with their pregnancies.
The lawsuit, also filed by the Centre for Reproductive Rights, argues that the way medical exceptions are defined under the conservative state’s abortion restrictions is confusing, stoking fear among doctors and causing a “health crisis”.
The Texas Supreme Court is expected to soon issue a decision on whether to block the state’s abortion bans in cases such as Mrs Cox’s.
The US Supreme Court overturned the constitutional right to abortion
A Texas state “trigger” ban went into immediate effect, prohibiting abortions even in cases of rape or incest. Texas also has a law that allows private citizens to sue anyone who performs or aids in an abortion.
Texas physicians found guilty of providing abortions face up to 99 years in prison, fines of up to US$100,000 (S$134,000) and the revocation of their medical licences. AFP
