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Texas hospitals deny reproductive rights to ectopic pregnancy sufferers.
Two Texan women have petitioned the Biden administration to investigate two hospitals for violating the EMTALA. The women, who are people of color, are demanding that these hospitals be held accountable for their discriminatory practices and are calling on the federal government to take immediate action.
Published August 12, 2024 at 11:19am by Bayliss Wagner
Texas Woman Who Needed An Abortion To Save Her Fertility And Her Life Files Federal Complaint After Fallopian Tube Is Removed
By Stephanie Mann
Published March 29, 2023
Kyleigh Thurman, a resident of Burnet County, Texas, is filing a federal complaint against Ascension Seton Williamson, alleging that the hospital denied her a lifesaving abortion for an ectopic pregnancy, resulting in the loss of her right fallopian tube and endangering her life.
Thurman experienced symptoms of an ectopic pregnancy, including cramps, dizziness, and nonstop bleeding. After a positive pregnancy test and an initial examination, her OB-GYN suspected a tubal ectopic pregnancy, a life-threatening condition. Despite this, she was unable to receive timely treatment, driving an hour to Ascension Seton Williamson, where she was discharged without the necessary care.
Days later, her ectopic pregnancy ruptured, causing severe bleeding and excruciating pain. She was transferred to Ascension Seton, where doctors informed her that she was "bleeding out." To save her life, they removed her right fallopian tube, reducing her chances of a successful future pregnancy.
Thurman's complaint, filed with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, alleges violations of the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act (EMTALA). The Center for Reproductive Rights, an abortion rights advocacy organization, filed the complaint on her behalf.
Texas law explicitly permits doctors to terminate ectopic pregnancies, the leading cause of maternal mortality in the first trimester. However, the Biden administration's guidance on emergency abortions under EMTALA has been blocked in Texas since 2022 due to an injunction by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton.
"For weeks, I was in and out of emergency rooms trying to get the abortion that I needed to save my future fertility and life," Thurman said in a statement. "I was left completely in the dark without any information or options for the care I deserved."
The complaint demands an investigation into Ascension Seton Williamson and seeks justice for Thurman, highlighting the dangerous consequences of restricting access to critical reproductive healthcare.
This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.
Read more: Texas women denied abortions for ectopic pregnancies file federal complaints against hospitals