The Texas Heartbeat Act or Senate Bill 8, the law that prohibits abortions for pregnancies six weeks and beyond once a fetal heartbeat has been detected, is reportedly a success according to Texas Right To Life.
Texas Right To Life said that the Texas Health and Human Services Commission released a report that confirms the drop in abortions conducted in the state since Senate Bill 8 took effect on September 1 last year.
"A new report from the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) confirms a substantial drop in abortions in September 2021 after implementation of the Texas Heartbeat Act," Texas Right To Life said.
"The state agency reported a total of 2,197 abortions in Texas, compared to just one month before, which had an astonishing 5,404 abortions committed. The 2,197 abortions in September represents a 60% decrease in abortions," the pro-life organization stressed.
Accordingly, there were 160 abortions conducted daily in Texas prior to the Texas Heartbeat Act. The number dropped to 70 daily come December. The new report from the Texas Health and Human Services Commission has confirmed earlier estimates made by Texas Right To Life that SB8 saves 100 babies a day "from the horrors of abortion."
The new report also showed that there was only one case of abortion involving 17 to 20 weeks of gestation for September. The said abortion involved a mother whose life was in immediate danger, making it "the only medically necessary abortion" for the month.
Texas Right To Life stressed this particular case of abortion last September falsifies claims of pro-life skeptics on abortionists circumventing the law by claiming every procedure a "medical emergency." Similarly, the new report proves "untrue" the claims of pro-choice advocates that SB8 will endanger the lives of women "to seek later abortions due to a medical emergency."
"However, the actual data reveal both of these fears to be untrue. The fact that medically emergent abortions have not increased proves that they are not surging in necessity and that they are not being used as excuses. Although some women may be traveling out of state to obtain abortion, those numbers are small and unconfirmed at this point," Texas Right To Life highlighted.
"Based on these figures, the law has likely saved 15,000 children since taking effect," they added. "We celebrate the lives being spared as a direct result of this life-saving law!"
President Joe Biden openly opposed the implementation of SB8 and has filed a lawsuit against it within a few days after it took effect. The United States District Court for the Western District of Texas sided with the lawsuit through a temporary block on SB8 in October. Biden then moved his petition to block the law to the United States Supreme Court in November. A month after, the Supreme Court decided a stay in the law's implementation.
Texas Right To Life, being one of the proponents of SB 8, highlighted through its Media and Communication Director Kimberlyn Schwartz that their efforts to save the lives of children in the state have been successful. Schwartz expressed hopes the same would be experienced in Mississippi once the United States Supreme Court decides on the Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization case this June.
"The success of the Texas Heartbeat Act is embodied by every child saved. For over 150 days, our work has saved an estimated 100 babies per day. Our impact is only just beginning as more states seek to replicate our success and as we look to the Mississippi case that could overturn Roe this summer," Schwartz said in a statement.
