“It’s shameful that Texas would use COVID-19 as a cover to restrict reproductive rights. The only person who gets to decide if an abortion is ‘essential’ is the pregnant person, not the state of Texas. Abortion should never, under any circumstances, be criminalized,” said Tarah Demant, the Director of the Gender, Sexuality, and Identity Program at Amnesty International USA.
“Furthermore, designating abortion clinics as non-essential will not limit the need for abortions. Restricting abortion does not reduce abortions; it makes them unsafe, which, in turn, leaves people more vulnerable. Unfortunately, we have seen this dangerous practice start to become a trend, with states like Ohio and Mississippi implementing similar restrictions. No government should be using this pandemic as a cover for an anti-human rights agenda.”
Learn more about human rights and COVID-19 here.
Media contact: Mariya Parodi, [email protected]