I had barely had my first sip of coffee Friday morning when I received a text that made my jaw drop.
“Heide, I’m in trouble. I’m pregnant.”
As a woman in her mid-forties and a mother of three already, my friend—whose name I am withholding in anticipation of potential legal repercussions—was worried about the dangers surrounding what is sometimes known as geriatric pregnancy. Two of her children were already out of high school, and physically, mentally and emotionally, she wasn’t in a healthy position to have another baby.
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A day earlier, the Oklahoma legislature passed a bill that prohibits nearly all abortions from the point of fertilization. The bill lets private citizens sue abortion providers or anyone who “aids or abets” an abortion, and if signed by Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt, it would take effect right away.
In light of previous comments that he would sign any bill restricting abortions, Oklahoma is set to be arguably the strictest anti-abortion territory in the United States.
After all, earlier this year, the governor signed into law two other abortion measures, including one that mirrors the Texas law that allows private citizens to take out bounties and sue abortion suppliers when pregnancies are ended after six weeks. Stitt has also signed yet another bill into law that will make performing any abortion that does not include a medical emergency a felony in the state, though it does not go into effect until this summer.
My friend explained that she called Trust Women, a clinic in Oklahoma City that provides abortion services, and was told that even though the governor hadn’t signed the new bill yet, they expected him to do so soon. Because of the mandatory 72-hour waiting period in the state, they didn’t want to set any more appointments. (I called the clinic and got the same response.)
Instead, my friend was referred to a clinic in Wichita, Kansas. However, due to the high demand and the influx of women fleeing restrictive states to receive care, she was told she’d have to wait more than a week or two to have an appointment, she said.
But my friend did find a solution. Next week, she is traveling to New England on a pre-planned trip, and the state she’s visiting still has legal abortion services. With a simple call, she was able to set up an appointment.
Not all women facing a difficult choice are as lucky as she is. Many do not have the resources to travel out of state—or very far period—for reproductive care.
“Other women will not be able to figure out the logistics, and they will be forced to either carry a pregnancy against their will or they will attempt to terminate without medical support,” Emily Wales, interim president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Great Plains, which serves Missouri, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Kansas, told The Daily Beast. “That should never happen in a civilized society like the one we have. Not being able to have an honest conversation with your medical provider, particularly a trained provider in this care, is an awful thing for people to experience.”
Already, Planned Parenthood Great Plains and other providers are launching lawsuits against the restrictive laws in Oklahoma and beyond, according to Wales. But even though the new bill says women cannot be sued for seeking abortion services, my friend still worries that she may be somehow liable in the future.
“It’s Russian Roulette, and I’m worried about my health,” she said, adding, “It’s terrifying.”
In fact, the new Oklahoma bill invites civilians to file lawsuits, rather than permitting the state to file criminal charges. But it’s clear that, on one hand, abortion providers in the state are packing it up, and on the other, even people of means are downright spooked.
Making things worse for those hoping to challenge any new law: The potential reversal of Roe v. Wade, as teased in a leaked draft opinion earlier this month, and the reality of a high court that is uniquely hostile to abortion rights.
“The Supreme Court has now had the Texas case a few times with the possibility of intervening, and they've declined to do so, which makes this a really uphill battle for us to challenge one of these vigilante justice laws,” Wales said.
“One of the things we'll have to think about is organizing at the state level so that the public can see that these bans will injure people,” she added.
Already, numerous states have “trigger bills” ready to ban or partially ban abortion services should the U.S. Supreme Court overturn Roe, as is now widely anticipated. But for some people in my state, the worst-case scenario is well within sight.
As my friend put it, “They are creating a situation in this state where the consequences are going to be devastating, not just to women, but to the children they are forced to bear.”
