美国最严格限制的一天后反堕胎法生效了医生和倡导者报告说，德克萨斯州的堕胎数量急剧下降。
休斯顿提供者巴维克·库马尔博士说，他通常每天进行20至30次堕胎。自从新法律颁布以来，他说他只见过六个病人，被迫将其中一半拒之门外。
“就在昨天，我见到了一个人，她以为自己怀孕得更早了，但是一旦她到了这里，做了超声波检查，发现自己已经进步了很多，”在计划生育机构工作的库马尔说。“她哭了，我们开始探索各种选择，并考虑她是否能够离开这个州去接受她需要的治疗。”
新法律禁止医生提供堕胎服务，“如果医生检测到胎儿心跳”，包括胚胎心脏活动，这可能最早发生在怀孕六周，并规定任何私人公民都可以起诉他们认为六周后在德克萨斯州提供堕胎服务或帮助他人堕胎的人。原告至少可以得到1万美元。
2018年由国家健康研究所发现平均来说，女性报告怀孕意识大约在五周半左右。适用于这项研究，这意味着根据德克萨斯州的新法律，普通孕妇做出决定和预约的可能性非常小。
德克萨斯州堕胎权利倡导者周四告诉美国广播公司新闻，该州近90%寻求堕胎的妇女已经过了第六周。
这最高法院正式拒绝阻止得克萨斯州堕胎法周三晚上，援引技术和程序原因。
在一项5比4的决定中，五名倾向保守的法官投票决定让该法律继续有效，但没有决定它是否符合宪法。
目前，大多数在德克萨斯州寻求堕胎的妇女在其他州被迫这样做。
丽贝卡·童在邻近的俄克拉荷马州经营着一家堕胎诊所，她说她已经被州外的电话淹没了。
“这些手机真是太可笑了，”信托女性联合执行董事童说。“我们现在大约三分之二的通话量是德州人。”
童说，她的平均日程包括每天约15名女性的约会。自从得克萨斯州颁布法律以来，这个数字已经增加了一倍多。
“对于一个5到10分钟的程序，在大流行中行驶600英里，”她说。“太残忍了。”
Texas abortion providers say they've been forced to turn away patients under new law
A day after the nation's most restrictiveanti-abortion law went into effect, doctors and advocates reported a steep decline in abortions across Texas.
Houston provider Dr. Bhavik Kumar said he normally performs between 20 to 30 abortions a day. Since the new law, he said he's only seen six patients -- and was forced to turn half of them away.
"Just yesterday I saw somebody who thought she was earlier in the pregnancy, but once she got here and had her ultrasound, found out she was much further along," said Kumar, who works out of a Planned Parenthood. "She was crying and we began to explore options and think through the logistics of if she would be able to go out of state for the care that she needed."
The new law bans physicians from providing abortions "if the physician detects a fetal heartbeat" including embryonic cardiac activity, which can be as early as six weeks into a pregnancy, and stipulates that any private citizen can sue a person who they believe is providing an abortion or assisting someone in getting an abortion in Texas after six weeks. A plaintiff could collect at least $10,000.
A 2018 study done bythe National Institute of Healthfound that on average, women reported pregnancy awareness around five and a half weeks. As it applies to the study, this means an average pregnant woman would have a very slim margin to make a decision and appointment under the new Texas law.
Nearly 90% of women who are seeking abortions in the state are past their sixth week, abortion rights advocates in Texas told ABC News Thursday.
TheSupreme Court formally refused to blockthe Texas abortion law Wednesday night, citing technical and procedural reasons.
In a 5-4 decision, five conservative-leaning justices voted to let the law remain in effect, without determining if it is constitutional.
For now, most women seeking abortions in Texas have been forced to do so in other states.
undefinedMORE: Supreme Court refuses to block Texas abortion law on technical grounds
Rebecca Tong, who operates an abortion clinic in neighboring Oklahoma, said she's become inundated with out-of-state calls.
"The phones have just been ridiculous," said Tong, co-executive director of Trust Women. "About two-thirds of our call volume right now is Texas people."
Tong said her average schedule consists of appointments for about 15 women a day. Since the law in Texas, the number has more than doubled.
"For a five to 10 minute procedure, to drive 600 miles in the middle of a pandemic," she said. "It's cruel."
