Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) said victims of rape in the state can take emergency contraception to prevent pregnancy instead of getting an abortion.
Abbott made the comments during an appearance on the local radio programme, Lone Star Politics, according to The Dallas Morning News. The segment will air Sunday.
“We want to support those victims, but also those victims can access health care immediately, as well as to report it,” Abbott said.
“By accessing health care immediately, they can get the Plan B pill that can prevent a pregnancy from occurring in the first place. With regard to reporting it to law enforcement, that will ensure that the rapist will be arrested and prosecuted.”he added.
Abortions are banned in Texas with no exceptions for rape or incest. Physicians and other health care providers are are also banned from providing abortion inducing medications after seven weeks of pregnancy. This could make medical providers wary about discussing Plan B with patients out of fear that it could violate these new anti-abortion law and result in large fines or a possible prison sentence.
The campaign for Democrat Beto O’Rourke, Abbott’s challenger in the gubernatorial election, told Dallas Morning News: “Greg Abbott signed the most extreme abortion ban in the nation with no exception for rape or incest. The arrest rate for rape has fallen by nearly half since he took office as he allows over 3,000 untested rape kits to collect dust in his state crime labs.”
According to the Texas Department of Public Safety, there were 13,327 reported cases of rape in Texas in 2020 and there were only 1,828 arrests made.
O’Rourke responded to Abbott on Twitter Friday night, saying “We are going to end Greg Abbott’s career on November 8 and the women of Texas are going to lead the way.”
