A pregnant Texas woman, Kate Cox, has made headlines as she seeks an abortion due to a fatal fetal condition. Cox, a 31-year-old mother of two, was diagnosed with a fetus having trisomy 18, a condition with low survival rates and high likelihood of miscarriage or stillbirth. Her baby’s diagnosis has led to a rare and unprecedented challenge to one of the most restrictive abortion bans in the US, as Cox filed a lawsuit seeking permission for an abortion.
Cox’s lawyers argue that continuing the pregnancy would jeopardize both her health and ability to have more children. According to her lawsuit, Cox has been to the emergency room at least four times since becoming pregnant again in August, highlighting the risks associated with carrying the fetus to term. Her attorneys claim that inducing labor or carrying the baby to term could also compromise her ability to have another child.
The Texas Supreme Court, composed of nine Republican justices, has put a lower court’s order granting Cox permission for an abortion on hold. The court has yet to rule on Cox’s lawsuit, and with no timetable for a decision, Cox decided to seek an abortion in another state.
Nancy Northup, president and CEO of the Centre for Reproductive Rights, which is representing Cox, emphasized that Cox’s health is on the line. “She’s been in and out of the emergency room and she couldn’t wait any longer,” Northup said.
Cox’s case is a high-profile test of abortion bans in Texas and a dozen other GOP-controlled states, where abortion is prohibited at nearly all stages of pregnancy. This challenge comes after the US Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, leaving many states to implement stricter abortion laws.
Kate Cox (Via Kate Cox/Twitter)
Dr. Leilah Zahedi-Spung, a maternal fetal medicine specialist, pointed out that when lethal fetal anomalies are diagnosed, there is only risk to the pregnant person, and no benefit for the fetus. “You are putting your body through risks without any benefit because prolonging the pregnancy doesn’t change the survival rate,” she said.
While there are no recent statistics on the frequency of terminations for fetal anomalies in the US, experts say it is a small percentage of total procedures. The termination of pregnancies due to fetal anomalies or other often-fatal medical problems is seldom discussed in national debates over abortion.
The case of Kate Cox highlights the complexities and challenges of abortion laws, particularly in states with strict restrictions. As the legal battle continues, Cox’s decision to seek an abortion in another state underscores the urgent need for a comprehensive approach to reproductive healthcare.
