Doctors struggled to care for some patients under Georgia’s abortion law Ap

ATLANTA — Some doctors say they’ve struggled to overcome medical exceptions to Georgia’s abortion restrictions in place up until last week, sometimes delaying treatment and putting pregnant patients at risk.

The stricter law, which went into effect July 20, banned abortions after fetal heart activity was detected, usually around six weeks into a pregnancy. It included exceptions in cases of rape, incest, or complications that threaten the life of the pregnant person or render the pregnancy hopeless.

kAmpere uF=E@? $FA6C:@C r@FCE ;F586 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]2;4]4@>^A@=:E:4D^7F=E@?4@F?EJ;F586DE@AD 6?7@C46>6?E@786@C8:2D23@CE:@?32?^f)zv|pb+&dvvyu}’s)z|f%!%}t^ QmDECF4< E96 =2H 5@H? %F6D52J[k^2m 3FE E96 DE2E6 92D 2AA62=65 E96 CF=:?8]k^Am

kAmu@FC 5@4E@CD H9@ H@C< 2E G2C:@FD 9@DA:E2=D 2?5 4=:?:4D :? E96 >6EC@ 2C62 E92E AC@G:56 23@CE:@?DE@=5 %96 pE=2?E2 y@FC?2=r@?DE:EFE:@? E96J 562=EH:E9 >65:42= 4@>A=:42E:@?D E92E AC6D6?E65 =682= 8C2J 2C62D[ >@DE 4@>>@?=J H@>6? H9@D6 H2E6C 3C@<6 367@C6 76EFD6D H6C6 =:<6=J G:23=6]k^Am

kAm“%96C6’D ?@E E9:D =:?6 😕 E96 D2?5 H96C6 A6@A=6 8@7C@> E@E2==J 7:?6 E@24E:G6=J 5J:?8[” D2:5 sC] }:D92 ‘6C>2]”xE’D 2 4@?E:?FF>]”k^Am

kAmp 76EFD 😀 86?6C2==J 4@?D:56C65 E@ 36 G:23=6 @FED:56 E96 H@>3[ H:E9 >2;@C >65:42= :?E6CG6?E:@?[ 27E6C 2C@F?5 ac H66

kAm%96 5@4E@CD :?E6CG:6H65 3J E96 pyr D2:5 E96J H6C6 ?@E DFC6 H96E96C E96J 4@F=5 E6C>:?2E6 E9@D6 AC68?2?4:6D F?56C E96 76E2= G:23:=:EJ 6I46AE:@? 3642FD6 @7 A2E:6?ED H9@ >2?286 😕 C2C6 42D6D E@ 56=2J =23@C 7@C H66

kAmp== 7@FC D2:5 E96J H6C6 ?@E 2H2C6 @7 2?J 562E9D 😕 >6EC@ pE=2?E2 2D 2 C6DF=E @7 56?:65 23@CE:@?D H9:=6 E96 =2H H2D 😕 67764E]k^Am

kAm%96 v6@C8:2 ~3DE6EC:42= 2?5 vJ?64@=@8:42= $@4:6EJ 2?5 E96 |65:42= pDD@4:2E:@? @7 v6@C8:2 5:5 ?@E C6DA@?5 E@ C6BF6DED 7@C 4@>>6?E 7@C E9:D 2CE:4=6]k^Am

kAm%96 52J 27E6C E96 DE2E6 =2H E@@< 67764E :? yF=J[ r2CJ !6CCJ[ E96?AC6D:56?E @7 v6@C8:2’D ~qv*} 2DD@4:2E:@?[ k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]2;4]4@>^?6HD^2E=2?E2?6HD^>65:42==682=4@>>F?:EJ92DF?2?DH6C65BF6DE:@?D@?82 23@CE:@?=2H^’%t’scbxx}u|q~cz%$c(bceq{c^QmE@=5 E96 pyr[k^2m “!6@A=6 2C6 😕 2 DE2E6 @7 8C2J?6DD] !6@A=6 5@?’E 2<6 2 >@G6]”k^Am

came|@DE H@>6?[ H96? E96:C H2E6C 3C62@CC9286 =:<6=J E@ 7@==@H[ 2?5 2 DFC8:42= 23@CE:@? :D E96 72DE6DE H2J E@ 6>AEJ E96 FE6CFD 7@C A2E:6?ED H9@ C:D< :?764E:@?[ D2:5 sC] |682? r@96?[ >65:42= 5:C64E@C @7 !=2??65 !2C6?E9@@5 $@FE962DE[ 2?5 2? 23@CE:@? AC@G:56C 2E @E96C >6EC@ pE=2?E2 724:=:E:6D]k^Am

kAm(96? v6@C8:2’D “962CE362E =2H” H2D 😕 67764E[ D96 D2:5 5@4E@CD H6C6 ?@E 23=6 E@ A6C7@C> 23@CE:@?D H9:=6 E96 76EFD 925 2 962CE362E F?E:= A2E:6?ED D9@H65 D:8?D @7 E9@D6 4@>A=:42E:@?D[ 2?5 6G6? E96?[ 5@4E@CD H6C6 ?@E DFC6 9@H 62C=J E96J 4@F=5 :?E6CG6?6]k^Am

kAmr@96? 2?5 ‘6C>2 D2:5 E96J H6C6 42==65 E@ 562= H:E9 E9@D6 4@>A=:42E:@?D[ D@>6E:>6D A=6E6 >:D42CC:286D[” 23@FE @?46 2 H66<] %H@ @E96C >6EC@ pE=2?E2 5@4E@CD[ H9@ 5:5 ?@E H2?E E@ 36 ?2>65[ D2:5 E96J 72465 D:>:=2C D:EF2E:@?D]k^Am

kAmxE :DF?4=62C 9@H @7E6? v6@C8:2 A2E:6?ED H:E9 >65:42= 4@>A=:42E:@?D 3JA2DD65 =@42= 5@4E@CD E@ EC2G6= E@ DE2E6D H:E9 = @@D6C C6DEC:4E:@?D]k^Am

kAm’6C>2 2?5 r@96? 2C6 3@E9 G@42= @AA@?6?ED @7 E96 DE2E6’D 23@CE:@? =2H]’6C>2 4C:E:4:K65 :E 😕 $6AE6>36C E6DE:>@?JE@ E96 &]$]w@FD6 ~G6CD:89E 2?5 #67@C> r@>>:EE66[ H9:=6 r@96? D=2>>65 :E 😕 pF8FDE 2E 2 DE2E6 s6>@4C2E:4 !2CEJ 6G6?E] %96 EH@ @E96C 5@4E@CD C6BF6DE65 2?@?J>:EJ E@ 2G@:5 :56?E:7J:?8 E96:C 6>A=@J6CD @C A2E:6? ED]k^Am

kAmr@96? D2:5 96C :?4@>A=6E6 >:D42CC:286 42D6D H6C6 >@DE 4@>>@?=J C6D@=G65 H96? A2E:6?ED 56G6=@A65 :?764E:@?D 2?5 H6?E :?E@=23@C]x?764E:@?D =67E F?EC62E65 E@@ =@?8 42? =625E@D6AD:D2?5 562E9[ 2?5 5@4E@CD D2:5 E96J 2C6?’E EC2:?65 E@ H2:E 7@C D:4< A6@A=6 E@ 86E D:4<6C 367@C6 :?E6CG6?:?8]k^Am

kAm%96 5@4E@CD D2:5 E96J 2=D@ H6C6 F?23=6 E@ :?E6CG6?6 BF:4<=J 7@C 2 92?57F= @7 AC68?2?E A2E:6?ED H:E9 962CE 4@?5:E:@?D E92E 364@>6 =:76 E9C62E6?:?8 =2E6C 😕 AC68?2?4J 3FE H6C6 ?@EA@D:?8 2? :>>65:2E6 C:D< 2E E96 E:>6]p 4@FA=6 @7 A2E:6?ED H6C6 23=6 E@ 86E 23@CE:@?D 27E6C H2:E:?8 2E =62DE 2 H66< 7@C 255:E:@?2= 5@4F>6?E2E:@? 7C@> @3DE6EC:4:2?D[ r@96? D2:5]k^Am

kAmr@96? D2:5 D96 925 E@ C67FD6 23@CE:@?DE@ 23@FE EH@ A2E:6?ED 6G6CJ >@?E9 H9@ D2:5 E96J H6C6 C2A65 3FE 5:5 ?@E H2?EE@ 7:=6 A@=:46 C6A@CED 2D E96 =2H C6BF:C6D]k^Am

kAmr@96? 2?5 ‘6C>2 D2:5 E96J 2=D@ 2=:6D 4@F=5 36 D66? @? 2? F=EC2D@F?5]r@96? D2:5 E92E H2D ?@E C6=:23=JA@DD:3=6 F?E:= 23@FE `g E@ a_ H66

kAms@4E@CD F?DFC6 @7 9@HE@ :?E6CAC6E E96 6I46AE:@?D 4@F=5 D66< 2? @A:?:@? 7C@> E96 DE2E6 2EE@C?6J 86?6C2=[ D2:5 t>:=J |2ED@?[ 2 #@>632D65 2EE@C?6J H9@ 492:CD E96 3@2C5 @7 E96 v6@C8:2 {:76 p==:2?46[ 2? 2?E:23@CE:@? 8C@FA]k^Am

kAm” x E9:?< E96 @G6C2== 67764E @7 E9:D =2H :D[ E96C6’D 2 D64@?5 4@?D:56C2E:@? 23@FE E9:D 564:D:@? E92E’D 36:?8 >256[ 2?5 @FC 9@A6 😀 E92E 49:=5C6?’D =:G6D 2C6 36:?8 D2G65[” D2:5 |2ED@?[ DA62<:?8 367@C6 E96 =2H H2D @G6CEFC?65 =2DE H66<]k^Am

kAms@4E@CD 5:5 ?@E C6BF6DE :?E6CAC6E2E:@?D 7C@> pEE@C?6J v6?6C2= r9C:D r2CC H9:=6 E96 =2H H2D 😕 7@C46[ D2:5 DA@<6DH@>2? z2C2 #:492C5D@?[ ?@E:?8 E92E 😀 ?@E E96 C@=6 @7 E96 DE2E6 pv @77:46]k^Am

kAm“~FC @77:46 D6CG6D 2D =682= 4@F?D6= E@ E96 6I64FE:G6 3C2?49 @7 DE2E6 8@G6C?>6?E[” #:492C5D@? D2:5] “s@4E@CD H@F=5 C6249 @FE E@ E96:C 9@DA:E2= @C AC24E:46’D =682= 4@F?D6= 7@C :?E6CAC6E2E:@? D[ :7 ?66565]”k^Am

kAm$:?46 E96 &]$]$FAC6>6 r@FCE @G6CEFC?65 4@?DE:EFE:@?2= AC@E64E:@?D 7@C 23@CE:@? 😕 yF?6[ DE2E6 =2HD 4@?46C?:?8 E96 AC@465FC6 92G6 7=F4EF2E65 2C@F?5 E96 4@F?ECJ]k^Am

kAmv6@C8:2’D “962CE362E =2H” A=2465 :E 😕 2 F?:BF6 A@D:E:@?[ H:E9 @E96C DE2E6D A6C>:EE:?8 E96 AC@465FC6 F?E:= =2E6C DE286D @7 AC68?2?4J @C 32??:?8 :E 2E 4@?46AE:@?]k^Am

kAmxE :DF?4=62C 9@H >2?J v6@C8:2?DE@@< 25G2?E286 @7 C2A:5=J 8C@H:?8 ?6EH@C[ H:E9@FE AC6D4C:AE:@?D[ 7C@> 5:DEC:3FE@CD 😕 @E96C 4@F?EC:6D]%H@ @7 E96 >@DE A@AF=2C D9:AA6CD[ pFDEC:232D65 p:5 p446DD 2?5 |6I:4@32D65 {2D {:3C6D[ 5:5 ?@E C6EFC? 6>2:=D 7C@> E96 pyr D66<:?8 4@>>6?E]k^Am

kAm———k^Am

kAm©a_aa %96 pE=2?E2 y@FC?2=r@?DE:EFE:@?]’:D:E 2E k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]2;4]4@>Qm2;4]4@>k^2m]s:DEC:3FE65 3J k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]EC:3F?64@?E6?E286?4J]4@>Qm%C:3F?6 r@?E6?E p86? 4y[ {{r]k^2mk^Am

Copyright 2022 Tribune Content Agency.