A recent survey of OB/GYNs in the state shows that doctors are concerned and confused by Texas' abortion ban. 76% of doctors surveyed say they feel like they can't practice medicine according to best practices and evidence-based medicine, and 60% of those who responded fear legal repercussions.

Dr. Damla Karsan, an ON/GYN with Comprehensive Women's Healthcare in Houston, said the guidelines are not clear.

"The question is how sick does a woman have to be, how close to death does she have to be to be confident that the state will deem that the intervention was warranted? There's just really no clarity around this," she said. "It's a very murky area."

Texas adopted the "heartbeat bill" in 2021 that bans abortions as early as six weeks into a pregnancy. The legislation makes exceptions for a life-threatening physical condition, or a serious risk of substantial impairment of a major bodily function.

Those in the medical field say they're concerned the abortion law will create a shortage of OB/GYNs in the state. Many of those surveyed say they're considering retiring early or leaving Texas because of the legislation and 57% of resident physicians say the abortion law is relevant to their decision about staying in the state after residency. The law will negatively impact low income and rural patients, Karsan said.

"We already have one of the highest maternal mortality rates, and we have some staggering numbers of counties in the state of Texas that don't even have an OB/GYN, and so that's going to get worse. And as usually happens it's those individuals that have the least access to care, are going to be hurt the most," she continued.

Karsan has been involved in two legal challenges to the abortion ban, including the case of Kate Cox.
The Houston mother of two received national attention after traveling to another state to obtain an abortion after it was determined her third child would not survive, prompting one message from Karsan for Texas lawmakers.

"Abortion is healthcare and healthcare decisions are complicated, and those decisions really should be left to individuals who have years and years of training to be able to navigate this space. And, this is not political; this is medical," she argued.


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Wisconsin law bans telemedicine abortion care, yet new data show an increasing number of Wisconsinites have been getting abortion pills through shield law providers.

An 1800s Wisconsin law caused a temporary statewide ban on abortion services after Roe v. Wade was overturned in 2022.

Jenny Higgins, professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and director of the UW Collaborative for Reproductive Equity, said even after the ban was lifted in 2023, demand for abortion pills in Wisconsin remained high.

"Suggesting that even when brick-and-mortar facilities are offering abortion care in our state, telehealth abortion still is a really important service that many people in our state are taking advantage of through these shield laws," Higgins explained.

There have been about 130 orders for abortion pills per month made through shield law providers since July 2023, according to WeCount data. There have also been reports of stockpiling nationwide since the election. In a recent interview, President-elect Donald Trump said he would "probably" not restrict medication abortion pills during his second term.

With only four abortion clinics statewide, 96% of Wisconsin counties do not have an abortion provider and about 70% of Wisconsinites of reproductive age live in a county without an abortion clinic.

Higgins noted while shield law clinicians provide critical and affordable care to Wisconsinites who grapple with numerous restrictions to abortion, attempts to criminalize both providers and patients are expected, with Black and brown patients at the highest risk.

"We know historically that Black and brown women are the most likely to be criminalized during pregnancy, whether that pregnancy is ending in abortion or birth," Higgins pointed out. "I think we need to pay great attention to the ways in which some of the pregnant people with the least social power could be putting themselves at risk."

She added barriers to care must also be recognized, including distance to brick-and-mortar facilities, state insurance prohibitions affecting affordability and negative past health care experiences.

Another 1800s law could come into play under the new administration, although about 70% of Americans have never heard of it. Project 2025 directs the use of portions of the Comstock Act to criminalize abortion, while some state attorneys general have already asked courts to make mailing abortion pills illegal under the act.


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Voters across the country approved a majority of measures in November to affirm abortion rights and supporters of an initiative to legalize abortion in Idaho said they are feeling momentum.

Voters approved seven of 10 state abortion-rights measures, including in Montana. A Florida measure received a majority of votes but did not reach the state's 60% threshold for passage.

In Idaho, pro-choice advocates are waiting for approval to collect signatures on a 2026 measure which would allow access to abortion until viability of the fetus.

Melanie Folwell, executive director of Idahoans United for Women and Families, is leading the effort.

"If there's anything that was very clear in November's election, it's that abortion amendments and abortion laws -- laws that expand access to reproductive options -- do well at the ballot, even in very 'red' states," Folwell asserted.

Idaho is one of six states with a near-total abortion ban. Folwell noted her organization is awaiting approval from the attorney general's office and could start collecting signatures by the end of January.

However, unlike many other states allowing voter initiatives to amend the state constitution, Idaho does not. If approved for the ballot, the abortion access measure would mean passing legislation, which in turn means legislators could repeal it. Folwell argued it is unfortunate, when people have been telling lawmakers since Roe v. Wade was overturned about the negative effects of banning abortion.

"They've heard from doctors, they've heard from health care systems, they've heard from patients themselves -- from women who have suffered needlessly as a result of these laws -- and they've done nothing," Folwell observed. "They've had two legislative sessions to do something. They've done nothing. And we think there's an imperative to just take this question to the people."

If the measure is approved to collect signatures, it would need 6% of signatures from registered voters from at least 18 of the state's 35 legislative districts, a total of about 70,000 signatures before April 30, 2026.


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Health clinics in New England and elsewhere are coping with a sharp uptick in requests for long-acting contraceptives in the wake of the election.

Planned Parenthood centers in New Hampshire, Maine, and Vermont report more than double their weekly average appointment inquiries for intrauterine devices - or IUD's - and the birth control implant.

Planned Parenthood of Northern New England CEO Nicole Clegg said the organization had exceeded its monthly average for vasectomy consultations by mid-November.

"There's a lot of anxiety," said Clegg, "that people have around whether or not they're going to have access to their preferred birth control choice."

Clegg said patients are also calling with concerns about the availability of gender-affirming care.

She said the increase mirrors what the organization experienced after President-elect Donald Trump's first win in 2016, and the eventual overturning of Roe v. Wade in 2022.

In New Hampshire, abortion remains accessible up to twenty-four weeks of pregnancy, but health care advocates note that state law does not expressly protect abortion rights and that anything could change under the new Republican trifecta at the statehouse.

Clegg said New Englanders are already showing a heightened interest in volunteering at health centers to ensure patients can get the care they need.

"We've had these intense fights before," said Clegg, "and time and time again the American public has stood up for Planned Parenthood and our rights. We think they'll do the same again this time."

Clegg said a loss of federal funds would reduce peoples' access to vital, preventative health care services.

The co-leaders of Trump's new Department of Government Efficiency have already vowed to cut $300 million earmarked for groups like Planned Parenthood, which they claim pursue a progressive agenda.





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