Legislative Interference and SB8: What Members Can Do Now to Mitigate the Harms of the Texas Law

Physicians throughout the country are speaking up in opposition to SB8, the Texas law banning virtually all abortions and related medical counsel and support. The law is demonstrating the dangers to patients and clinicians when politicians override medical experts. Obstetricians and gynecologists are turning to ACOG for guidance on advocacy strategies that support our colleagues in Texas and help prevent laws like SB8 from passing in other states.

Threats Facing Patients and Clinicians in Texas and More Broadly

Physicians in Texas have reported to ACOG that they are frightened for the health and lives of their patients. They are outraged that this law has shrouded their patient interactions with the specter of legal retribution. Medical educators are wrestling with the impact on training programs.

Already in 2021, states have enacted more restrictions on pregnancy termination than any other year since Roe v. Wade. Lawmakers in many states across the country have signaled that they may attempt to replicate Texas’s ban.

Three Ways that ACOG Members are Acting Individually

ACOG members have the tools as well as the credibility to help ensure that public policy is guided by science and facts, not political ideology: our evidence-based voices, our patient stories, the strength of our numbers, and our advocacy skills.

You can join this effort in these ways:

• Contact your state elected officials and tell them to prioritize the health of communities over harmful restrictions
• Call on Congress to pass the Women's Health Protection Act in advance of Friday's historic vote before the US House of Representatives
• Share your perspective on why access is important to your patients, and how political interference impedes your ability to provide care

ACOG is Fighting on Multiple Fronts Against Legislative Interference

ACOG pledges to pursue every appropriate avenue, in partnership with our District leadership, to mitigate the harm of this law and legislative interference elsewhere. Our efforts include collaborating with the federal government, pursuing recourse through the courts, engaging other states seeking to expand their capacity to care for patients travelling long distances, and assisting Texas physicians within the confines of the law. ACOG has received an outpouring of support from members in every District.