AUSTIN, Texas — On the second anniversary of the overturning of Roe v. Wade, new data released by the American Medical Association shows an uptick in infant deaths in Texas after the state's near-total abortion ban took effect.
On Monday, women rallied outside of the State Capitol, calling for increased abortion access in Texas, where there are no exceptions unless the mother's life or a bodily function is at risk.
Another call for action happened inside the Austin Women’s Health Center, where there used to be full access to reproductive care before the ban. Congressman Colin Allred hosted the press conference, saying, "The Dobbs decision allowed Texas’ extreme abortion ban to go into full effect, a ban championed by Ted Cruz, which has had a devastating impact on Texas women."
Austinite Taylor Edwards was there in support of Allred. During her speech, she recalled her experience finding out her 17-week fetus would die at birth and her doctors telling her there was nothing they could do, legally.
"Instead of being offered health care right then and there by my doctors that I know and trusted, I was forced to leave the state with no information," Edwards said.
Edwards got an abortion out of state – a step nearly 35,000 Texans took in 2023, according to recent data from WeCount research.
"Returning to Texas after my abortion, I was terrified that I would be prosecuted by the state, when my husband would be prosecuted," Edwards said. "You shouldn't have to live in fear when you're going through something so traumatic."
The Texas fetal heartbeat abortion ban went into effect in 2021. Findings from the Journal of the American Medical Association released on Monday show in 2022, Texas saw a 22.9% increase in the number of infant deaths tied to pre-term birth defects, whereas the rest of the U.S. saw a 3% increase.
"That is expected, unfortunately," Dallas OBGYN Kim Vernon said.
Vernon said in most of those cases, the pregnancies would have been allowed to be terminated before the Texas ban.
"To have to watch a baby be born and then die at home can be just absolutely tragic," Vernon said. "Again, that should be those mothers' right."
Edwards said she was able to conceive and give birth to a baby boy just last month. Even in that joy, she said she chooses to relive her pain and stand by lawmakers like Allred to try to make sure every woman has a choice about their own body.
Allred is challenging U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz in November. When Roe v. Wade was overturned in 2022, Cruz called the decision a "massive victory for life" that would save millions of innocent babies.