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I'm an OB-GYN. It's important Idahoans know about this health exception to our abortion ban. • Idaho Capital Sun [1]

['Emily Corrigan', 'Kristen Moore', 'Caitlin Gustafson', 'Alexis Ericsson', 'More From Author', 'June', '.Wp-Block-Co-Authors-Plus-Coauthors.Is-Layout-Flow', 'Class', 'Wp-Block-Co-Authors-Plus', 'Display Inline']

Date: 2025-06-21

As an obstetrician-gynecologist practicing in Idaho, I’ve seen firsthand the consequences of one of the nation’s strictest abortion bans. I have delivered thousands of babies in my career and provided care to countless Idahoans experiencing pregnancy complications.

Since Idaho’s ban took effect, many patients with serious pregnancy complications have been denied basic care in hospitals across the state. The stories have become all too familiar: pregnant patients coming to the hospital with medical emergencies and physicians struggling to navigate Idaho’s confusing medical exceptions, at times forced to withhold timely and appropriate care.

Fortunately, an Idaho state court issued a ruling on April 11 that broadened the medical exceptions to the state’s abortion bans, allowing patients to access abortion care if they have a health condition that increases the risk of having a shorter lifespan if they don’t receive an abortion.

As we mark the three-year anniversary of the overturning of Roe v. Wade, it is important that all Idahoans know that this broad health exception is in effect and applies to every part of the state.

While the decision in Adkins v. Idaho was imperfect, doctors can find much consolation in the court’s decision. Unfortunately, patients with some fetal diagnoses and those at risk of self-harm due to mental health conditions may not qualify for an exception.

However, Idaho’s criminal abortion ban previously only allowed abortion care to prevent the death of a pregnant person and in limited cases of rape or incest. That meant doctors were left to figure out how close to death their patients had to be to receive proper care. The Adkins ruling allows Idaho physicians to offer abortion care in many more scenarios, significantly reducing or eliminating the need to send patients out of state for emergency health care.

The Adkins ruling also eliminates the current dichotomy in the standard of care in Idaho for pregnant patients who require emergency abortion care. Due to recent developments in the EMTALA (Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act) federal lawsuits, in late March, the protections against prosecution for emergency abortion care were limited to only physicians working at St. Luke’s hospitals.

This meant that most physicians in Idaho were not protected against criminal prosecution simply for following federal law, and patients’ treatment options depended on which hospital they visited for care. Their options were different even within the same city.

While Adkins is a step in the right direction, Idaho’s abortion bans still interfere with doctors’ ability to act in the best interests of our patients. One of the consequences is that nearly 1 in 4 OBGYNs have left the state since 2022. These losses have already cut off access to reproductive healthcare for many communities, such as Caldwell and Sandpoint. Abortion care is health care, and the ability to access essential health care shouldn’t depend on your zip code.

Participating as a plaintiff and expert witness in the Adkins case has been one of the most challenging tasks I have faced as a physician. It was also extremely rewarding to work with the brave women who shared their traumatic medical experiences publicly to fight for improved care for other pregnant Idahoans in the future.

I am hopeful that this is the beginning of a new era leading to the restoration of reproductive rights in Idaho.

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[1] Url: https://idahocapitalsun.com/2025/06/21/im-an-ob-gyn-its-important-idahoans-know-about-this-broad-health-exception-to-our-abortion-ban/

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