Drs. Caroline Rouse and Sherrine Ibrahim, Indianapolis Star
Sep 1, 2023
Ever since Indiana’s near-total abortion ban went into effect, we find ourselves counting.
Counting the weeks since four judges with no medical training stripped Hoosiers of their bodily autonomy. Counting the days of travel more patients will endure and the thousands of dollars they’ll spend – on gas, hotels, childcare – to seek safe, evidence-based health care outside of Indiana. Counting the hours that high-risk patients will wait until their lives are sufficiently “at risk” before we are allowed to intervene. Counting the minutes we have to grieve the unnecessary, preventable suffering before pulling ourselves together and jumping back into this crisis that could have – should have – been avoided.
We are maternal-fetal medicine subspecialists, which means we care for Indiana’s sickest pregnant patients. We routinely care for patients with serious medical complications such as severe heart disease, cancer, uncontrolled diabetes, and hypertension. We also diagnose complex fetal anomalies, including those that are lethal, as well as conditions that develop during pregnancy that might risk a patient’s life or their fetus. For our patients, abortion is a critical health care service.
Continued: https://www.indystar.com/story/opinion/2023/09/01/america-abortion-debate-indiana-is-crossroads-bleak-future/70727114007/