The Texas health department has appointed Dr. Ingrid Skop, an anti-abortion OB-GYN, to the Texas Maternal Morality and Morbidity Review Committee, which reviews pregnancy-related deaths in the state. Skop, who has worked in San Antonio for most of her career, will represent rural areas on the committee. Doctors have raised concerns that the state’s restrictive abortion ban puts women’s lives at risk, as it does not have exemptions for cases of rape or incest. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists has called for committee members to be unbiased and free of conflicts of interest.
Skop has expressed controversial views, including stating that rape or incest victims as young as 9 or 10 could carry pregnancies to term. She has also criticized medical associations for not providing proper guidance to doctors on Texas’ medical exemption for abortion. Doctors have raised concerns that the exemption is too vague, making it difficult to offer necessary care for fear of legal repercussions. Under Texas law, a doctor convicted of providing an illegal abortion could face up to 99 years in prison and a $100,000 fine, in addition to losing their medical license.
The Texas Maternal Morality and Morbidity Review Committee is responsible for compiling data on pregnancy-related deaths, making recommendations to the Legislature, and assessing the impact of abortion laws on maternal mortality. Skop’s appointment to the committee has raised concerns among medical professionals, especially given her affiliation with the Charlotte Lozier Institute, an anti-abortion research group. Earlier this year, studies supported by the institute advocating for restrictions on the abortion pill mifepristone were retracted due to conflicts of interest and flaws in the research.
Critics have argued that bias against abortion could compromise the committee’s analyses, as seen in previous research articles co-authored by Skop and others affiliated with the Charlotte Lozier Institute. The organization has emphasized the importance of committee members being focused on appropriate standards of care and free from conflicts of interest. Doctors have warned that the lack of clarity in Texas’ abortion laws could jeopardize women’s health and access to necessary medical care. The ongoing debate surrounding abortion legislation in Texas continues to be a contentious issue with far-reaching implications for women’s reproductive rights and healthcare.
