3: How Texas’ Abortion Ban Is Straining Its OB-GYN Workforce
Release Date: 06/12/2025
3: How Texas’ Abortion Ban Is Straining Its OB-GYN Workforce
Texas Briefing
This is the final episode in our three-part series on reproductive health in Texas — where we have world-class health facilities, yet rank near the bottom when it comes to women’s health outcomes. Listen to and . Texas banned all abortions in 2022, with one exception — to save the life of the pregnant patient or “prevent substantial impairment of a major bodily function.” The law’s vague language and harsh penalties for doctors who perform abortions, including possible life imprisonment and a $100,000 fine, have left OB-GYN physicians unsure of when emergency care is legally...
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2: Should Teens Need Parental Permission to Access Birth Control?
Texas Briefing
This is Episode 2 in our 3-part series on reproductive health in Texas — where we have world-class health facilities, yet rank near the bottom when it comes to women’s health outcomes. , the Baker Institute’s new nonresident fellow in maternal and reproductive health, joins senior health policy fellow to discuss teenagers’ access to confidential contraceptive care. Texas, which has one of the country’s highest rates of teen pregnancy, is one of 27 states in the U.S. that doesn’t allow minors to consent to their own contraceptive care. Kari and Elena examine the role...
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1: Will New Abortion Legislation Save Pregnant Patients’ Lives?
Texas Briefing
This is Episode 1 in our 3-part series on reproductive health in Texas — where we have world-class health facilities, yet rank near the bottom when it comes to women’s health outcomes. the law and politics reporter and former women’s health reporter at the Texas Tribune, joined senior health policy fellow to discuss new abortion legislation in Texas that aims to clarify when doctors can perform emergency abortions. Senate Bill 31, or the Life of the Mother Act, was passed by the Texas House in late May and awaits passage by Gov. Greg Abbott. Eleanor and Elena...
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Introducing the ‘Texas Briefing’ Podcast
Texas Briefing
Introducing “,” a new podcast that brings expert insights into the challenges shaping life in the Lone Star State. Institute scholars and their guests will untangle issues in health, the economy, climate resilience, and more to understand how policy matters are impacting communities, from the Panhandle to the Gulf Coast. In our first series, senior health policy fellow explores issues in reproductive health — including new abortion legislation, teen access to contraception, and the impact of the abortion ban on the state’s OB-GYN workforce pipeline — with guests Eleanor...
info_outlineThis is the final episode in our three-part series on reproductive health in Texas — where we have world-class health facilities, yet rank near the bottom when it comes to women’s health outcomes. Listen to Episode 1 and Episode 2.
Texas banned all abortions in 2022, with one exception — to save the life of the pregnant patient or “prevent substantial impairment of a major bodily function.” The law’s vague language and harsh penalties for doctors who perform abortions, including possible life imprisonment and a $100,000 fine, have left OB-GYN physicians unsure of when emergency care is legally allowed and fearful of acting outside the law.
As a result, OB-GYNs across the state are reconsidering how — and where — they practice.
Alex Morin, managing director at Manatt Health and co-author of two recent studies on the ban’s impact, joins Elena Marks to discuss how legal uncertainty around the ban is reshaping reproductive health outcomes in Texas and what it means for the state’s OB-GYN workforce pipeline.
Featured:
Alex Morin, https://www.manatt.com/alex-morin
Elena Marks, J.D., MPH, https://www.bakerinstitute.org/expert/elena-m-marks
Mentioned in this episode:
Manatt Health, Confusion, Cruelty and Fear: Delivering Reproductive Care to Women After Texas’ Abortion Ban, https://www.manatt.com/insights/white-papers/2025/health-highlights/confusion-cruelty-and-fear-delivering-reproductive-care-to-women-after-texas-abortion-ban
Manatt Health, Texas OBGYN Physician Workforce Study, https://www.manatt.com/insights/white-papers/2024/texas-obgyn-physician-workforce-study
This conversation was recorded on May 29, 2025.
A transcript of this episode is available here: https://bit.ly/4kzNq7U
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