Wed Feb 2, 2022 – 4:23 pm EST
AUSTIN, Texas (LifeSiteNews) — A Texas law effectively banning abortion of babies with detectable heartbeats appears to have saved the lives of 15,000 babies since taking effect five months ago, according to statistics from the Texas Health & Human Services Commission (HHSC).
The Texas Heartbeat Act requires abortionists to screen for a preborn baby’s heartbeat and prohibits abortion if a heartbeat can be heard (generally as early as six weeks), with exceptions only for medical emergencies. It relies on a unique enforcement mechanism, which “exclusively” empowers private citizens to bring civil suits against abortionists instead of state prosecutions. The law does not protect babies prior to them developing a detectable heartbeat.
The Act was swiftly challenged in court, but allowed by the Supreme Court to remain in effect while arguments work their way through the lower courts. In the meantime, the law has induced abortion chains Planned Parenthood and Whole Woman’s Health to temporarily suspend abortions past six weeks in the state.
This week, HHSC released a report finding that abortions had dropped from 5,404 in August 2021 to 2,197 in September, the month the Texas Heartbeat Act
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