Female MD gives abortion information that she would give to her daughter if she were in Texas

[CousinIT]

IF YOU KNOW OF ANY GIRLS OR WOMEN OF CHILDBEARING AGE IN TEXAS PLEASE SHARE THIS WITH THEM. AND TELL THEM TO SHARE IT WITH THEIR FRIENDS.

https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1433051906562273283.html

Link to tweet

I spent last night thinking of medical work arounds for this horrific law, until it is rectified in the courts.

So, this is what I would tell my daughter or her friends if they were in Texas.

[I know this isn't enough, but as a mom, and doctor, I am sharing my thoughts].

Get on Birth Control

Now.

Any form that is reliable.

Oral Contraceptives, Nuva Ring, Norplant, IUD.

Something.

Now.

Use condoms.

With the birth control.

Every single time.

No exceptions.

[This is good practice for STI protection anyway]

Take a pregnancy test every 4.5-5 weeks.

Buy a bunch now.

Get them in bulk and get comfortable taking them.

This may feel redundant if you are on birth control, but time is of the ESSENCE with this law.

Knowledge is your only power.

If you find out you are pregnant, and do not want to be, you have very little time to do it.

Do not shut down.

This will be hard, but you can't delay.

Call me, we will figure this out, together.
Understand how to seek a medical abortion.

There are ways to safely seek care privately even if you need to leave the state to do it.

Share this information with your friends.

Online clinics show abortion access can survive state restrictions and Roe v. Wade threat

Remote care amid COVID-19 illustrates abortion rights are resilient even in the face of a hostile Supreme Court or state laws designed to gut them.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2021/04/12/medication-abortion-rights-protected-online-clinics-column/7106777002/

Be a resource to ANYONE who needs it.

A lot of people will be afraid.

This is a horrific time,

We are all scared.

And we are sorry we let this happen.

We will continue to fight, but we also need to be prepared starting today.

I love you.

PS. I am aware this leaves out many circumstances leading to abortion care (non-consensual intercourse, fetal abnormality, health of the pregnant person) but given the broad scope of this law, and its applicability to early elective termination, I am focusing on that here.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

1. Very good advice. Hope a lot of women get their hands on it. n/t

[spanone]

2. K&R

[Texaswitchy]

3. Sorry we had to come to this.

I have a 12 year old granddaughter.

[Wounded Bear]

4. K & R...nt

[alittlelark]

5. Why is the 'Morning After' pill not mentioned - nor MTX ??

Seriously!?!

This is a 'medical professional', yet she leaves out the most important stuff in a Crisis !?!?

[Ocelot II]

6. Will it be available in TX? I doubt it.

[PunkinPi]

63. Plan B and other morning after pills are available on Amazon. nt

[Ocelot II]

64. For now.

[Delphinus]

8. When I heard this on the radio this morning,

I wondered if all women should just take the morning after pill as a regular thing post-coitus. I've no idea as to after-effects or harm from too much use - would need to be looked into.

[Politicub]

15. It's sold over the counter in Georgia, but is $50 a dose.

Like everything else, the cost makes it something that’s unattainable for much of the population.

[xmas74]

40. There are some excellent generics via Amazon

That are more affordable.

https://www.amazon.com/Emergency-Contraceptive-Tablet-Compare-One-Step/dp/B00NKMY5E2/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=plan+b&qid=1630560956&sr=8-1

You could stock up on 6 boxes for the price of 1. I'm in a group that has pooled money together and sent these out in the past.

Also, Dollar Tree has pregnancy tests for a dollar and they do work but aren't quite as quick on just peeing on a stick. I recommend anyone worried should stock up on both.

[forgotmylogin]

51. I hate to suggest this, but one word: Lysistrata.

Lysistrata is an ancient Greek comedy by Aristophanes, originally performed in classical Athens in 411 BC. It is a comic account of a woman's extraordinary mission to end the Peloponnesian War between Greek city states by denying all the men of the land any sex, which was the only thing they truly and deeply desired. Lysistrata persuades the women of the warring cities to withhold sexual privileges from their husbands and lovers as a means of forcing the men to negotiate peace—a strategy, however, that inflames the battle between the sexes.

I understand that abstinence is part of the fundies idea of "birth control", but just saying. Women's bodies are their own so it should be their choice to have sex, or not. Why not choose to make TX the blue-balls state?

[MontanaMama]

66. I worry about women withholding sex...

which is in fact their right…but then being raped. TX is now a state where rape could be a moneymaker with the bounties being offered. Women and girls are in imminent danger within the state of TX.

[forgotmylogin]

69. Didn't think of it from that angle. n/t

[soldierant]

13. Wee,

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100215809750

Check out the comments. The legislature is looking to oulaw Plan B.

[Liberty Belle]

22. Buy them now and keep on hand until expiration date, since they may be outlawed next.

[wnylib]

26. How will somebody in Texas get the morning after pill?

If they try to buy it in Texas, they will be sued by someone. Pharmacies might not carry it anymore there. It is illegal in Texas to send it through the mail. There are places that will send it in a plain package, but if someone else picks up the mail and is suspicious enough to check it?

Texas women might drive out of state to get a supply of them to have on hand, but they will need a good hiding place for them.

Women who cannot drive or fly out of state will not be able to get access to morning after pills or abortion procedures.

[Dopers_Greed]

34. The morning after pill is expensive and tough on the body

Not recommended for frequent use

[Delphinus]

7. Seems like ages ago,

I looked into some old natural ways - I was going to learn what they were so I could help females out if they were denied access. I guess I didn't save anything because I'm not finding it on my computer. I would imagine there will be some underground movements that get started to help out. BUT, yes, definitely all females, since we're always the ones responsible, should get birth control now.

[csziggy]

54. I had a newsletter that was distributed pre-Roe

That included various way to prevent/stop pregnancy without going to a doctor. It seems the medical procedure version is called vacuum aspiration.

One of the ways was to create a vacuum effect to evacuate the uterus, recommended for women to do once a month. Since this was before easy pregnancy tests - they still used rabbits back then - women would never know if they had conceived. The method they used was to create a vacuum with canning jars and water. It's been far too long and at the time I found it only slightly interesting so I do not remember the details.

I wonder if it time to revive some of the techniques such as this that were used in the past?

Info like this was why as soon as I could I had my tubes tied. If I were a young woman today I would do it again given how the RepuQs are trying to take away women's rights to control their own bodies.

[hlthe2b]

9. I worry about those not sexually active who are raped or victims of incest and do not report...

It is just unfathomable to think of the implications for these girls (often Children)

[Stargleamer]

10. Also to be recommended is to boycott anti-choice men

men who don't want to wear condoms, racist men, conservative men, etc.

I know that depending on one's circumstances this might not always be possible, but whenever it can be done, it should be encouraged.

[Aviation Pro]

11. Immediately stop having sex with Texas men....

...especially BloatedTicklicans.

[Ligyron]

16. Great idea!

I mean like every suspected con and stinkin’ rw Trump supporter.

[Joinfortmill]

23. 👍

[Texin]

48. How 'bout ALL men?

Men might be finding that they're about to experience a loooooooooooooong dry spell. Like maybe forever.

[Ocelot II]

65. Lysistrata!

[mcar]

14. I attended a meeting in 2017

hosted by members of a few groups that focused on women's health rights (don't recall the names). The whole focus of the seminar was on when - not if - Roe is overturned, how can women get Plan B?

They were putting a whole system in place that, to me, sounded like those "get Viagra at home" ads. I'm not denigrating what they were saying, they were actually setting up a system for women to have a phone convo with a doc who would order the drug from overseas that would get to the woman in time.

I expect they are ratcheting up their efforts.

[CousinIT]

20. I hope so. And making it confidential so it can't be traced by some reproductive terrorist. n/t

[mcar]

31. Yes!

[Lonestarblue]

46. But how long before Project Veritas goes undercover to learn the confidential links?

Someone will pose as a woman needing an abortion and learn what is being said so they can expose them for lawsuits.

[Mr. Evil]

17. Another option for the ladies of Texas.

Buy a dildo. They come in all shapes and sizes for all types of pleasures. No pregnancy to worry about and certainly no Texas whiny-baby reshitlican male to worry about either!

[alittlelark]

18. Uh. Yeah,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Funny.

[Celerity]

19. wtf????

[d_r]

24. they are going to make those illegal too

right after birth control

[ShazzieB]

28. Wow.

That's really not funny. Or helpful.

[Mr. Evil]

33. Take it however you want.

But, it's one way for women to take control of one aspect of this situation and to let white christian men hellbent on controlling women's lives that they can take matters into their own hands, so to speak.

These types of men still demand to be accommodated whether women wish to or not. Women have the power to demand that that kind of mentality needs to go, also.

Sometimes a little levity can encourage a victim or the exploited into implementing new avenues to overcome their oppressor(s). Instead of getting angry and screaming at people (like republicans), the decent people of Texas need to be innovative so that they can ridicule, humiliate and ultimately have this draconian law rescinded. And have the last laugh.

[calimary]

32. Not funny.

Women will die. They’ll be forced to use coat hangers. And they’ll die.

And newborns will again start turning up in dumpsters. This HAPPENED, back in the days before Roe v Wade.

A very VERY VERY bad day.

[HighFired49]

37. Not just newborns

Women will also die from murder, or miscarry from beatings when some men are faced with the prospect of having to take care of an unwanted child, or afraid their wives will find out. Just what this country needs, to say nothing of thousands of the unwanted children who are often abused, or left in homes with single mothers who are often unable to provide for them. This happened often before Roe v Wade, too. I agree, Mary. What a very crappy bad day.

[calimary]

39. I've been in a bad mood all day.

This just felt like a body blow.

I guess I can just be grateful that nobody in our family lives in Texas. Just my best friend. I'm amazed that we actually are still friends. She's become very conservative, and I'm as liberal as they come. I texted her today saying I will NEVER EVER go to Texas. Won't buy anything from Texas. Won't order anything from Texas. Not supporting the economy of that prehistoric-mentality state. She usually sounds off frequently about what's in the news, but she's been surprisingly quiet today. GOOD! She must know how FUCKING PISSED OFF I am!

[ancianita]

67. Same here, all day yesterday, too.

I was surprised today when I heard one male commentator on Joy Reid proclaim that this govt has to literally save women of TX the way it saved on rooftops in NOLA after Katrina and saved women and children in Afghanistan -- federally deputize all TX doctors and Planned Parenthood.

[Texasgal]

52. Thank You for your advice.

Dumbest thing I've read on DU in a long time.

[Joinfortmill]

21. I shared.

[rickford66]

25. If someone in effect forces a woman to have a baby ....

shouldn't they be liable for the costs of raising that baby until adulthood ?

[bucolic_frolic]

45. Coercion should be a tort

and yeah, civil suit for damages, psychological impact, costs. In my view.

[wnylib]

27. Does this law ban ALL abortions?

What about ectopic pregnancies or other pregnancies where the woman's life is in danger? What about seriously deformed fetuses? Does the law make any allowances?

[Hekate]

41. There are no exceptions for rape or incest, so I'm thinking there are no exceptions...

Oddly enough, a lot of people don’t believe certain acts of Nature can be fatal, & they really believe if anything goes wrong with a pregnancy then it must be because the woman did something willfully wrong. They are blithering idiots, and should not be in charge of making health policy, ever.

[orleans]

29. thom hartmann mentioned the D&C procedure

that, back in the day, it was the work-around before abortion was legal
women would go in for a d&c when their periods were too heavy, or
"A D&C may be used as a diagnostic or therapeutic procedure for abnormal bleeding. A D&C may be performed to determine the cause of abnormal or excessive uterine bleeding, to detect cancer, or as part of infertility (inability to become pregnant) investigation."
https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/treatment-tests-and-therapies/dilation-and-curettage-d-and-c#:~:text=Reasons%20for%20the%20procedure,inability%20to%20become%20pregnant)%20investigation.

[raising2moredems]

36. A good reminder of the dark ages of reproductive care..

[link:https://techcrunch.com/2021/08/26/virtual-clinic-hey-jane-raises-2-2m-to-solve-for-state-anti-abortion-legislation/|

We've dealt with the anti bunch before - make no mistake, they are not pro-life. My state is and will continue to be a safe haven for reproductive choice.

Yes birth control is a must but remember, most anti states don't want women to be able to obtain safe, reliable, no-cost/low cost contraceptives. Face it - Caucasian babies are a profitable commodity. And perhaps good reason their "surpreme being" didn't want them to be able to bear children.

[CrackityJones75]

30. Something I find very sad

I find it very sad that for some the answer is to terminate having sexual relationships. or even sex at all. This is not an answer. Women should not have to deny themselves of a very basic human desire such as a sexual relationship whether for love or pleasure. The suggestion is ridiculous and punitive to women to begin with. It just is not a serious solution to this disgusting law.

I really wish that people would stop promoting it. Yes I am a man. No I am not making the statement because of that.

[calimary]

35. The WORST line in this OP is "we are sorry we let this happen."

THERE!!!

THIS!!!

You did NOT stay vigilant, or preferably militant. I’m bristling at the memory of a Republican mom who shook her head in all certitude when I voiced my fears about the challenges to Roe v Wade - back when our kids were young and played together. She shook her head and said several times - “it’s not gonna happen. Not gonna happen. Itsnotgonnahappen.” Sounded like she was saying “snot gonna happen.” She was just so sure. I was just as sure she was gonna be proven wrong. She almost scoffed at my concerns.

Who’s scoffing now, Karen? (That’s her actual name).

[CousinIT]

42. "Not gonna happen" - same thing they say about cutting, gutting or abolishing social security.

But just WAIT until the American Taliban gets hold of that -- because after 2022, we will not have fair elections anymore and will be an authoritarian dictatorship or Fascist state. All while certain Senate so-called 'Democrats' twiddle and twaddle with their filibuster.

[riversedge]

38. Pass it all you know --and then some.

[Texin]

43. I agree with this MD. And I'd add another bit of advice:

think hard and long about whether you want to be a mother at all. Not every girl or young woman wants to become a mother. I wasn't keen on the notion during my twenties and throughout my thirties, and I was approaching forty before I concluded I really didn't want to have a child. I used birth control during most of that period until I hit my forties and felt it wasn't a good idea to keep taking birth control pills because of increasing risks of using them. I should have made the decision then that I would get my tubes tied. It seems radical, but not every woman is cut out to be a mother, and I felt I was one of those women. But I didn't do that. Because I knew I'd have a choice to make if I fell pregnant. I got married at the age of 44 to my husband who had two adolescent boys. He didn't want for us to have a child and I was okay with that. And I made a mistake: I thought because I was told by a OBGYN in my twenties that I would likely have trouble conceiving that I simply couldn't get pregnant. And I didn't get pregnant during my twenties and thirties, but at the age of 44 I did become pregnant and had to make a choice. I chose, with sadness and regret, that I couldn't carry that pregnancy to term because it would put too much strain on a new marriage and my shaky stepmother status to two boys, aged 11 and 12.

I know this is a hot button issue for a lot of folks, but I think any woman or girl in Texas at this point needs to truly get to know what they ultimately want or hope for, because time's run out on them. They will have no choice to make in this very personal matter any longer unless they're able to get the hell out of Texas to some far-flung state or country that allows them to have that choice. Damn it to hell: they may have to fly to Ireland FFS. Ireland of all places! Imagine that!

[CousinIT]

44. EXCELLENT ADVICE. Girls need to decide earliest possible if they want to be a Mom.

And PLAN accordingly. Including living where their own choice is ensured.

And absolutely all women do not have to be mothers. It's a CHOICE and should remain that way.

Tubal ligation is minor surgery (but is permanent), so that is an option if a woman feels certain about it. If one doctor argues with you about it, find another one.

[slightlv]

50. I think you bring up a very valid point.

I realized after my first child that I wasn't really cut out to be a mother. i did the best I could, and my daughter turned out to be a good person and a democrat, to boot. But after she was born, I -did- get my tubes tied; I was that sure I didn't want any more kids. When I remarried years later, new hubby didn't want any kids for fear of what could get passed down genetically thru his side, so it was all good. We came out lucky all the way around.

But I agree, motherhood is not a requisite of womanhood. Not every woman is cut out to be a mother. There are other ways to be creative. Being a mother is a life-long commitment; it doesn't even end when they move out on their own. The concern and worry is there every day of every year you're alive. Of course, the joys can overcome the worries, too. It's a balancing act. But a woman does have to realize her life is put on the back burner to a large degree to the needs and wants of this other person for the rest of her life... not just until they turn 18. Mine is 45 and still needing help in this environment!

[chia]

53. +1000

[Texin]

61. I agree with everything in your post. And absolutely MOST important is this:

partners, single women and men (and same-sex couples too!) need to be brutally honest about whether they absolutely want and must have their own biological children in life. If not now, when? Is there wiggle room about it? Is one or the other ambivalent about parenthood? If so, perhaps they really need to get down and dirty honest with themselves about this. One person in a relationship can't and shouldn't steer the other into parenthood if they're really uncertain and not passionate about it. It is probably - no - it is the most important relevant information a partner or potential partner needs to make clear very soon into a relationship. If it's a casual thing, maybe not so much. But if people are starting to head in the direction of commitment, they need to have this discussion. If two people are not in agreement about it, then they should reconsider whether this particular individual they're having this conversation about is "the one". This is something that should never ever be an assumption one way or the other. Truth. Honesty. If it ends up terminating that relationship, it's better before a couple finds themselves three, five, seven or even ten+ years down the road when the divide opens up between them about it. Because it will.

[demigoddess]

62. do not go to a republican to get your tubes tied. In the seventies I remember a woman

who had had the operation but the doctor, on purpose, only did one. He thought she would regret having her tubes tied so only half did the job. When I saw her she was pregnant and going off to sue the doctor. This was in Texas.

[slightlv]

70. Had mine done at the Free Clinic

in San Antonio, and was very happy with it. they were my main source of healthcare for quite a few years...

[mwooldri]

47. No sex please, we're Texan...

Wish I could fix this. I can't.

[bluestateboomer]

49. It may be the time for a Lysistrata moment here.

[Glaisne]

55. How long before Texas

outlaws all forms of contraception?

[housecat]

56. sounds like a good start to an underground movement

[The Jungle 1]

57. Flood texass with abortion pills.

I remember when abortion was illegal.
They were easy to get. However dangerous to get.
Passing laws will not reduce abortion. It didn't work in the past and won't work now.
Education
Healthcare
Housing
Living wages
Those four things would reduce abortion.

[wryter2000]

58. I'm wondering about people in other states

Let's say I do something to help a woman from Texas come to CA for an abortion, I don't think the Texas law would apply to me. I don't think someone who lives in California and stays in California would have to obey a Texas law.

Can any legal experts confirm or contradict this?

[Mr.Bill]

59. This is sound advice whether

you live in Texas or any other state.

[scipan]

60. This is a good site. If you can't get Plan B,

It gives detailed instructions on how to get, take one of the 2 ingredients in Plan B. Read all the instructions including contraindications. Also links for help and legal help.

https://jewishcurrents.org/how-to-give-yourself-an-abortion/

Of course, this isn't meant for any woman who lives in Texas.

[BeckyDem]

68. Highly recommend