A recent Texas bill that would have prohibited all abortions—including those induced by abortion pills—was withdrawn under pressure from a prominent pro-life group. The organization argued that women should never face penalties for ending the lives of their unborn children, even when they knowingly use abortion drugs.
This incident raises a critical and often misunderstood point: abortion is not truly illegal in Texas or in most other states.
While Texas and several other states have passed laws that prohibit abortion, every one of these laws explicitly exempts mothers from all legal consequences, even when they take direct steps to cause the death of their babies. In practice, this means that in states where abortion is technically “banned,” women can easily obtain abortion pills—often by mail from out-of-state or overseas providers – without violating any laws.
This is the new face of abortion. Women are no longer seeking out abortionists as we have understood the term. Instead, women have become the abortionists. And while the Dobbs decision did result in a modest decline in overall abortion numbers, we are now seeing a devastating surge of chemical abortions initiated solely by women themselves, without any clinical involvement or legal boundaries.
Some legislators, like Rep. Brent Money of Texas, recognize this grim reality. They believe that unless the law reflects the full truth of abortion—that it is the intentional killing of a human being—it will remain ineffective in protecting life. These lawmakers also strongly support pregnancy centers and compassionate alternatives. But they understand that most women never reach a pregnancy center. They bypass all support systems and go directly online to order pills that end a child’s life in the privacy of their own home.
Society holds abusive parents accountable to protect children and prevent future harm. We penalize drunk drivers to deter dangerous behavior and save lives. When a mother neglects her newborn, the law intervenes because the child’s life matters. In each of these cases, the law affirms the value of human life by punishing the wrongdoer and preventing further tragedy. Why is abortion the one area where society insists there can be no accountability?
Opponents of laws that carry consequences for abortion claim that women are always victims, never perpetrators, of abortion. In some cases, that’s true—women who are truly coerced into abortion are not culpable. But this cannot be said of every woman who voluntarily obtains and takes abortion drugs, fully aware that she is taking the life of her child. When we strip women of moral agency, we suggest they are incapable of making their own decisions, whether good or bad. And by removing all legal guardrails, we do nothing to address the to the real physical, emotional, and spiritual harm that abortion causes.
Accountability doesn’t have to mean incarceration. It can take other forms. But if the pro-life movement is truly committed to ending abortion, we must confront the uncomfortable question of how to respond to the growing phenomenon of chemical abortions—and the legal void that currently surrounds them.
What do you think?
Should states consider enacting laws that include some form of accountability for women who knowingly and willingly commit abortion? If so, what should that look like? Could appropriate legal consequences help deter abortion, and in doing so, save lives.
Let’s have a real conversation—one that’s honest about the stakes, the statistics, and the sanctity of human life.