Welcome to the Post-Roe World
While the Supreme Court upholding the Fifth Circuit Court’s decision to allow Texas to keep enforcing its unconstitutional abortions restrictions does not mean they will eventually not strike down the law, it’s also not a good sign. The reason district court judge initially put a block on enforcing the law is that it’s quite obviously an undue burden on abortion access, due to the fact that it closed down abortion services at a third of the clinics offering them. So they had to reject that argument. So I’m worried. I won’t lie.
Even if things go the pro-choice way in the end, this will strike a permanent blow to access, especially in rural areas. Some clinics, like Planned Parenthood, mostly do other stuff, so they will stay open to offer contraception and well woman services. However, some abortion clinics exist only as abortion clinics—the demand is so high and supply is so lean elsewhere that they pretty much have to exist. So, those clinics that can’t comply are closing and rural areas. That said, one doctor, who is the only abortion provider in Harlingen, was interviewed by Slate and he explained how he intends to stay open and help women who need to terminate anyway.