Had the justices upheld the entire law, as few as seven clinics would have remained, all in major metropolitan areas. Likewise, the strict surgical standards are unrelated to the actual risk of complications stemming from a legal abortion, which is among the safest medical procedures. This actually increased the health risks of abortion, since women in this position are more likely to choose illegal and unsafe methods to end their pregnancies. Both men knew what they were talking about: More than half of the state’s roughly 40 abortion clinics, unable to meet the admitting-privileges requirement, closed — 11 on the day the law was enacted. The former governor Rick Perry, in pushing for the law, said it was one step toward an “ideal world” where there was no abortion.

Source: New York Times June 27, 2016 20:32 UTC