Texas Abortion -- WEB
Metadata
- Texas Abortion -- WEB
- April 1, 2022
- Content Type Package
- Language English
- Transcript/Script English TEXAS-ABORTION (TV/R) HEADLINE: Tensions Rise Over the Future of Abortion Rights in US TEASER: All eyes are on the Supreme Court, which is expected in June to decide on a case that could reshape abortion in the US. Since September, Texas women seeking an abortion have had to scramble to get an abortion in the state. BYLINE: Deana Mitchell PUBLISHED: 4/1/2022 AT 9:45AM DATELINE: AUSTIN, Texas VIDEOGRAPHER: Deana Mitchell PRODUCER: Deana Mitchell SCRIPT EDITORS: Michelle Quinn, cobus. Djones balance check VIDEO SOURCE (S): VOA, AP , AFP, Reuters, ABC PLATFORMS (mark with X): WEB __ TV _X_ RADIO _X_ TRT: 4:11 VID APPROVED BY: Holly Franko TYPE: TVPKG EDITOR NOTES: )) ((INTRO:)) [[The future of abortion rights is in flux in the U.S. as the Supreme Court is expected to weigh in on the issue in June. Since September, Texas has banned abortions after six weeks. For women seeking an abortion, many are in a race against time. Deana Mitchell has the story.]] ((NARRATOR)) Amy, a spoken-word poet, recently had an abortion. And it was no easy task. The divorced mother of a 3-year-old said she barely had time to think once she realized she was pregnant — because she is in Texas. ((Amy, Had an Abortion)) “If I would have had a little bit more time, lowered my blood pressure a little bit — maybe I would have made a different decision. We’ll never know.” ((NARRATOR)) In September, the state enacted … the most restrictive abortion law in the U.S. Amy, who declined to give her last name, knew she had just days to do it all — make her decision, find a place to get an abortion, and then go through with it. ((Amy, Had an Abortion)) “I don't even think I had gotten the results from the pregnancy test, and I was already googling where to get an abortion in Texas, just so that I could have the option.” ((NARRATOR)) Amy’s experience in Texas may soon become reality for more women in the U.S. The Supreme Court is expected to decide on an abortion case in June that could spur a wave of abortion rights restrictions throughout the nation. Worried abortion rights advocates point to life in Texas under the new law, where women have to get an abortion by the time a fetal heartbeat is detected, which is around six weeks of being pregnant for most women. It also carries the ability to sue anyone who helps a woman get an abortion after six weeks. ((NARRATOR)) The reality for most women is the deadline is even shorter. When Amy missed her period, two weeks after having sex, she was considered to be four-and-a-half to five weeks pregnant, since pregnancy is calculated from the first day of a woman’s last period. Amy had less than a week, but after multiple phone calls, she was able to get into a clinic. ((Amy, Had an Abortion)) “I didn't even have time to assess my own thoughts, I felt the clock ticking.” ((NARRATOR)) For anti-abortion activists, this time constraint is a big step in the right direction. [[For RADIO only: Joe Pojman is the Founder of Texas Alliance for Life, an anti-abortion organization.]] ((Joe Pojman, Texas Alliance for Life)) “Our goal is to make a society such that no woman would even consider having an abortion because she feels there are no alternatives. We do have vast alternatives.” ((NARRATOR)) Instead of seeking an abortion, Pojman wants pregnant women to visit Texas’ nearly 200 crisis pregnancy centers, like this one, where he says they get support. [[For RADIO only: Brittany Green-Benningfield heads the Pflugerville Pregnancy Resource Center.]] ((Brittany Green-Benningfield, Pflugerville Pregnancy Resource Center)) “So this is our baby boutique for our moms. This is where when they come and take lessons with us, they get an opportunity to shop. Through classes, they earn points, and then they are able to take what they need. We have a licensed sonographer, and she provides ultrasounds for any of our clients that come in. We are giving our moms a first glimpse to see their baby.” ((NARRATOR)) The centers also help women make doctor’s appointments and offer things like canned goods until the child is 2-and-a-half to 3 years old. Pojman says it’s all a big step in the right direction, but that much more work is needed. ((Joe Pojman, Texas Alliance for Life)) “While the number of abortions has substantially decreased and women are seeking more agencies that provide alternatives to abortions, there're still tens of thousands of abortions in Texas going on.” ((NARRATOR)) In some ways, Amy was a best-case scenario for someone seeking an abortion in Texas. She knew the law, she knew she had to move quickly, and she had resources to get an abortion and possibly travel out of state if necessary. That’s not the case for poorer women who are being harmed most by the law, say abortion rights advocates. [[For RADIO only: Sarah Wheat is a spokesperson for Planned Parenthood]] ((Sarah Wheat, Planned Parenthood)) “Once they find out and are informed that Texas law prevents them from accessing an abortion right here as they're sitting already in our health center, it's too much, the barriers are too great, whether that is that they don't have access to reliable transportation or they can't get time off of their job or they don't have somebody to take care of their children. It is totally out of reach.” ((NARRATOR)) In each month, between September and December, 1,400 Texas women went out of state for an abortion, according to the University of Texas. That’s more than 4,000 women. Many others who missed the deadline ordered abortion pills online, which comes with risks when not taken under medical supervision. Amy said this makes her worry. ((Amy, Had Abortion)) “Women are going to get abortions. They've done it for centuries, even when they were fully illegal and that’s how women died from abortions, so if you take away this decision you’re ultimately just taking away women’s lives.” ((NARRATOR)) Those who oppose abortion say that abortions take human lives, too. Certainly, a difficult debate no matter the perspective. ((Deana Mitchell for VOA News, Austin, Texas))
- Transcript/Script TEXAS-ABORTION (TV/R) HEADLINE: Tensions Rise Over the Future of Abortion Rights in US TEASER: All eyes are on the Supreme Court, which is expected in June to decide on a case that could reshape abortion in the US. Since September, Texas women seeking an abortion have had to scramble to get an abortion in the state. BYLINE: Deana Mitchell PUBLISHED: 4/1/2022 AT 9:45AM DATELINE: AUSTIN, Texas VIDEOGRAPHER: Deana Mitchell PRODUCER: Deana Mitchell SCRIPT EDITORS: Michelle Quinn, cobus. Djones balance check VIDEO SOURCE (S): VOA, AP , AFP, Reuters, ABC PLATFORMS (mark with X): WEB __ TV _X_ RADIO _X_ TRT: 4:11 VID APPROVED BY: Holly Franko TYPE: TVPKG EDITOR NOTES: )) ((INTRO:)) [[The future of abortion rights is in flux in the U.S. as the Supreme Court is expected to weigh in on the issue in June. Since September, Texas has banned abortions after six weeks. For women seeking an abortion, many are in a race against time. Deana Mitchell has the story.]] ((NARRATOR)) Amy, a spoken-word poet, recently had an abortion. And it was no easy task. The divorced mother of a 3-year-old said she barely had time to think once she realized she was pregnant — because she is in Texas. ((Amy, Had an Abortion)) “If I would have had a little bit more time, lowered my blood pressure a little bit — maybe I would have made a different decision. We’ll never know.” ((NARRATOR)) In September, the state enacted … the most restrictive abortion law in the U.S. Amy, who declined to give her last name, knew she had just days to do it all — make her decision, find a place to get an abortion, and then go through with it. ((Amy, Had an Abortion)) “I don't even think I had gotten the results from the pregnancy test, and I was already googling where to get an abortion in Texas, just so that I could have the option.” ((NARRATOR)) Amy’s experience in Texas may soon become reality for more women in the U.S. The Supreme Court is expected to decide on an abortion case in June that could spur a wave of abortion rights restrictions throughout the nation. Worried abortion rights advocates point to life in Texas under the new law, where women have to get an abortion by the time a fetal heartbeat is detected, which is around six weeks of being pregnant for most women. It also carries the ability to sue anyone who helps a woman get an abortion after six weeks. ((NARRATOR)) The reality for most women is the deadline is even shorter. When Amy missed her period, two weeks after having sex, she was considered to be four-and-a-half to five weeks pregnant, since pregnancy is calculated from the first day of a woman’s last period. Amy had less than a week, but after multiple phone calls, she was able to get into a clinic. ((Amy, Had an Abortion)) “I didn't even have time to assess my own thoughts, I felt the clock ticking.” ((NARRATOR)) For anti-abortion activists, this time constraint is a big step in the right direction. [[For RADIO only: Joe Pojman is the Founder of Texas Alliance for Life, an anti-abortion organization.]] ((Joe Pojman, Texas Alliance for Life)) “Our goal is to make a society such that no woman would even consider having an abortion because she feels there are no alternatives. We do have vast alternatives.” ((NARRATOR)) Instead of seeking an abortion, Pojman wants pregnant women to visit Texas’ nearly 200 crisis pregnancy centers, like this one, where he says they get support. [[For RADIO only: Brittany Green-Benningfield heads the Pflugerville Pregnancy Resource Center.]] ((Brittany Green-Benningfield, Pflugerville Pregnancy Resource Center)) “So this is our baby boutique for our moms. This is where when they come and take lessons with us, they get an opportunity to shop. Through classes, they earn points, and then they are able to take what they need. We have a licensed sonographer, and she provides ultrasounds for any of our clients that come in. We are giving our moms a first glimpse to see their baby.” ((NARRATOR)) The centers also help women make doctor’s appointments and offer things like canned goods until the child is 2-and-a-half to 3 years old. Pojman says it’s all a big step in the right direction, but that much more work is needed. ((Joe Pojman, Texas Alliance for Life)) “While the number of abortions has substantially decreased and women are seeking more agencies that provide alternatives to abortions, there're still tens of thousands of abortions in Texas going on.” ((NARRATOR)) In some ways, Amy was a best-case scenario for someone seeking an abortion in Texas. She knew the law, she knew she had to move quickly, and she had resources to get an abortion and possibly travel out of state if necessary. That’s not the case for poorer women who are being harmed most by the law, say abortion rights advocates. [[For RADIO only: Sarah Wheat is a spokesperson for Planned Parenthood]] ((Sarah Wheat, Planned Parenthood)) “Once they find out and are informed that Texas law prevents them from accessing an abortion right here as they're sitting already in our health center, it's too much, the barriers are too great, whether that is that they don't have access to reliable transportation or they can't get time off of their job or they don't have somebody to take care of their children. It is totally out of reach.” ((NARRATOR)) In each month, between September and December, 1,400 Texas women went out of state for an abortion, according to the University of Texas. That’s more than 4,000 women. Many others who missed the deadline ordered abortion pills online, which comes with risks when not taken under medical supervision. Amy said this makes her worry. ((Amy, Had Abortion)) “Women are going to get abortions. They've done it for centuries, even when they were fully illegal and that’s how women died from abortions, so if you take away this decision you’re ultimately just taking away women’s lives.” ((NARRATOR)) Those who oppose abortion say that abortions take human lives, too. Certainly, a difficult debate no matter the perspective. ((Deana Mitchell for VOA News, Austin, Texas))
- NewsML Media Topics Religion and Belief, Politics
- Topic Tags Abortion
- Network VOA
- Embargo Date April 1, 2022 16:47 EDT
- Description English The future of abortion rights is in flux in the U.S. as the Supreme Court is expected to weigh in on the issue in June. Since September, Texas has banned abortions after six weeks. For women seeking an abortion, many are in a race against time. Deana Mitchell has the story.
- Brand / Language Service Voice of America - English