Texas Medical Board starts training doctors on legal abortion care after deaths and mounting complaints.
Five years after implementing its strict abortion ban, the Texas Medical Board has started training physicians on how to lawfully perform abortions to safeguard patients’ lives.
Nearly five years after Texas passed its sweeping abortion ban, the Texas Medical Board is set to begin training physicians on how to legally perform abortions to protect patients’ lives.
The ban was revised after state lawmakers approved the Life of the Mother Act last year, mandating the board to release formal guidance for doctors by Jan. 1, according to ProPublica. The update comes amid reports of rising sepsis cases among women experiencing pregnancy loss, more emergency room visits requiring blood transfusions, and at least four deaths tied to delayed reproductive care — with over 100 OB-GYNs pointing to the state’s abortion restrictions as a key factor.
Approved in 2021, Texas’ sweeping abortion ban levied tough penalties on physicians, leaving many worried about criminal charges for stepping in during life-threatening pregnancy emergencies. With the revised law now mandating formal training on when abortions are legally permitted, Texas becomes the first state with a ban to require such guidance.
The updated training makes clear that physicians may legally perform abortions even if a patient’s life is not in immediate danger, detailing nine qualifying situations such as preterm rupture of membranes and complications from an incomplete abortion. It also addresses cases resembling the 2021 death of Josseli Barnica, who died from infection after doctors did not intervene during an “inevitable” miscarriage while fetal cardiac activity persisted. Under the revised law, abortion care would be permitted in similar circumstances.
Although the training is now mandatory, medical and legal experts say it addresses only the most straightforward cases. They warn that pregnancy complications are often complex and varied, making them difficult to fully capture in a brief presentation — with one attorney calling the guidance “the bare minimum.”
“I could easily name a hundred scenarios that would make someone stop and ask, ‘Does this actually fall within the law?’” said Tony Ogburn, an OB-GYN practicing in Texas. “They’re condensing years of medical training and real-world experience in handling these cases into just 43 slides.”
Texas Medical Board President Dr. Sherif Zaafran said the training materials were reviewed by Attorney General Ken Paxton, Gov. Greg Abbott, and state Sen. Bryan Hughes, who authored the abortion ban. The governor-appointed board also sought input from the Texas Hospital Association and the Texas Medical Association.
“Most hospitals and doctors are already doing this correctly. But this law is meant to eliminate any excuses or uncertainty and ensure all physicians are properly trained,” Hughes said in March 2025, before the Life of the Mother Act was enacted.
Under the new regulations, all physicians providing obstetric care — including those in ER and urgent care settings — must complete a self-paced online course by 2027 to obtain or renew their medical licenses. Houston OB-GYN Dr. Damla Karsan said she supports the training, as it allows doctors to rely on their clinical judgment in emergencies.
“Still, having to defend your decisions can be intimidating,” Karsan added.
