Texas already has the most restrictive abortion laws in the U.S. — and they got tougher on Dec. 1. That’s when a new law went into effect that adds penalties of jail time and a fine up to $10,000 for anyone who prescribes pills for medication abortions via telehealth and the mail.
Texas bans all abortions after cardiac activity can be detected in the embryo, which is usually about six weeks into a pregnancy and is often before a woman knows she is pregnant. Medication abortions via telehealth or mail were already illegal in Texas, and the new criminal penalties went into effect on the same day that the Supreme Court heard arguments in a Mississippi case that ultimately could overturn Roe v. Wade, the landmark 1973 ruling that established a constitutional right to abortion.
In contrast to a surgical abortion, which takes place in a clinic, a medication abortion involves two pills, taken 48 hours apart, to end a pregnancy. Many people prefer this process early in a pregnancy, since the pills can be taken at home. The FDA approved the drugs in 2000, and the procedure is effective up to 10 weeks into a pregnancy.
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