On September 1, 2021, an unconstitutional law went into effect in Texas, essentially banning all abortions. The Texas Heartbeat Act, signed by Republican Governor Greg Abbott, bans abortions after six weeks of pregnancy. 

This Act authorizes private citizens to sue anyone for $10,000 who assists in obtaining an abortion. The law does not make exceptions for victims of sexual assault, but does make an exception if the pregnant person’s life is in danger. 

The Texas Abortion Ban is inhumane and will affect low-income people and those who already don’t consistently get adequate healthcare the most.  People who don’t have enough money to travel or to get an abortion will be impacted the most. According to the National Center for Biotechnology Information, on average, most people know they are pregnant at 5.5 weeks, and most don’t know they are pregnant at six weeks. 

After finding out they are pregnant, one would only have about two weeks to make an incredibly important decision about the baby and save up enough money should they choose to have an abortion. The New York Times reports that, according to abortion providers, the law will introduce enormous challenges for low-income people, who would need to come up with $550 to pay for an abortion. Of course, unlike low-income people, wealthy people will most likely still be able to get abortions.

Marginalized populations that include black women and undocumented immigrants will also be disproportionately affected by this Act. Kamyon Conner, the executive director of the Texas Equal Access Fund, said “she was particularly concerned about the new law’s potential impact on Black women in Texas, who already face high maternal mortality rates. Undocumented women cannot travel easily around the state to get access to care, she added.”

Additionally, trans people in Texas will be greatly affected. According to an article by Them Magazine, “Pieces of legislation restricting access to abortions have a massive impact on the LGBTQ+ community, who already experience disproportionate challenges in access to sexual and reproductive health care.”

The six-week ban on abortions in Texas is unethical, unjust, and will unfairly impact low-income people who don’t consistently get adequate healthcare. This law will have consequences for people beyond Texas as it contradicts Roe v. Wade (where the Supreme Court held that a pregnant person has the right to choose to get an abortion). 

If it’s possible for Texas to pass such a restircitve law, is it likely that other states will pass similar legislation that would have been unthinkable before the passage of the Texas abortion ban?