News Releases |
ACOG Statement on Texas SB 4 Implementation
The following is a statement on behalf of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) from ACOG President J. Martin Tucker, MD, FACOG, and ACOG District XI (Texas) Secretary R. Todd Ivey, MD, FACOG, regarding Texas Senate Bill 4 (SB 4) going into effect:
“For the second time in 2021, Texas lawmakers have imposed restrictions on the ability of clinicians, including ACOG members, to provide their patients with the full range of reproductive health care.
“The bans on medication abortion after seven weeks and on mail-order access to these medications are not based in science and will do nothing to enhance a safe medical procedure.
“The Texas law’s onerous reporting requirements are particularly troubling for our members. Under the guise of gathering information about complications, the law will heighten fear for patients and force physicians to make reports counter to their own medical determinations, exposing them to the threat of penalties for failing to report medically irrelevant information.
“By continuing to severely limit access to essential reproductive medical care, Texas lawmakers are materially interfering with the patient–clinician relationship and paving the way for others who may wish to mimic these dangerous laws across the country.”