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 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 M. 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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