How Abortion Bans—Even With Medical Emergency Exemptions—Impact Healthcare

Christina Zielke went to an ER in Ohio bleeding profusely while experiencing a miscarriage. This was in early September, before the state's 6-week abortion ban was put on hold by a judge. What happened to her next is an example of how new state abortion laws can affect medical care in emergency situations.

Doctors who run afoul of these laws face the threat of felony charges, prison time and the loss of their medical license.

NPR's Selena Simmons-Duffin reports that some doctors are asking themselves a tough question: when they are forced to choose between their ethical obligations to patients and the law, should they defy the law?

Selena's story about Zielke is part of NPR's series, Days & Weeks, documenting how new abortion laws are affecting people's lives.

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This episode was produced by Connor Donevan, Paige Waterhouse, Claudette Lindsay-Habermann and Lauren Hodges. It was edited by William Troop and Jane Greenhalgh. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.