In the wake of the Supreme Court’s reversal of Roe v Wade, a shocking new documentary is shining a light on the devastating impact of state abortion bans on women’s lives and health. Zurawski v Texas, produced by Hillary and Chelsea Clinton and Jennifer Lawrence, follows the stories of women in Texas who were denied medically necessary abortions, even when their pregnancies posed grave risks.
Pregnancy Complications Turn Deadly Under Texas Law
For Amanda Zurawski, what should have been a joyous first pregnancy quickly turned into a nightmare. At 18 weeks, her water broke prematurely, ending any chance of delivering a healthy baby. But because doctors could still detect fetal cardiac activity, Texas law prevented them from ending the pregnancy, despite the risks to Zurawski’s health.
As she grew sicker, Zurawski was left with an impossible choice – travel out of state for the care she needed or wait until her condition became life-threatening. She eventually developed sepsis, nearly dying before doctors were legally allowed to perform an emergency abortion. The ordeal left her in the ICU for days and cost her a fallopian tube, compromising her future fertility.
“Somebody had to file the first suit. What we’re asking for is the bare minimum human decency requires.”
– Amanda Zurawski
Forced to Carry Unviable Pregnancies
Zurawski’s story is heartbreakingly common in post-Roe America. Samantha Casiano learned at 20 weeks that her daughter had a fatal brain defect, but couldn’t afford to travel out of state for an abortion. She was forced to carry to term, waiting for her baby to die as she planned the funeral.
Even medical professionals aren’t spared. Dr. Austin Dennard, an OB-GYN, had to leave Texas for an abortion when her own wanted pregnancy was found to be unviable. “Having these laws cripple our ability to provide care – it feels like a slap in the face,” she says in the film.
Bravely Sharing Their Trauma
Zurawski, Casiano and Dennard, along with other plaintiffs, bravely shared the intimate details of their experiences in court, testifying to the trauma, pain and fear they endured being denied abortion care. Some became so emotional recounting their ordeals that they became physically ill on the stand.
“The state absolutely wants to sweep their experiences under the rug,” says Molly Duane from the Center for Reproductive Rights, which aided in the lawsuit. “They just want to pretend like real people don’t exist at all.”
An Urgent Call to Action
Though the Texas Supreme Court ultimately rejected the women’s challenge in a devastating blow, the film-makers hope that giving the women a platform to share their stories can change hearts and minds about the true cost of abortion bans.
“Twenty-five million women in America live under bans like this,” said co-director Abbie Perrault. “Understanding that this issue could affect you in your lifetime is so key.”
“We just have to keep fighting, and we have to keep talking about it, and we have to keep telling our stories, without fear.”
– Dr. Austin Dennard
For now, the women in the film, and countless more like them, have no choice but to keep fighting for their fundamental right to make decisions about their health and families. Their courage in speaking out shines a harsh light on the true human toll of abortion bans – one that lawmakers can no longer ignore.
