ATTORNEY RESPONDED TO OUR REQUEST FOR INTERVIEW.

CONTINUING OUR SERIES ON ABORTION, TONIGHT, WE HEAR FROM THE MEDICAL PERSPECTIVE.

MARISA WOJCIK HAS THIS STORY.

>> WHEN I GOT THE RESULTS, I KNEW WHAT I WANTED TO DO.

IT WAS REALLY HARD EMOTIONALLY.

I WAS DEVASTATED.

I WANTED THAT BABY AND I WANTED EVERYTHING TO BE FINE.

I WANTED HER TO BE HEALTHY, BUT SHE WASN'T AND I KNEW THAT IF I CARRIED THAT PREGNANCY TO TERM, I WAS PUTTING MY OWN HEALTH AT RISK AND I ALSO KNEW THAT MY BABY F-SHE SURVIVED TO TERM, WOULD ONLY SUFFER AND I DIDN'T WANT THAT, SO I WAS VERY CONFIDENT THAT I WAS MAKING THE RIGHT DECISION FOR MY FAMILY.

>> JENNIFER MADE HER DECISION, WHILE ABORTION WAS STILL LEGAL.

BUT CASCADE OF EVENTS FOLLOWING THE U.S. SUPREME COURT'S RULING ON DOBBS V JACKSON WOMEN'S HEALTH ORGANIZATION HIT STATES LIKE WISCONSIN THE HARDEST, CREATING A NEAR TOTAL ABORTION BAN IN THE STATE ONE YEAR AGO.

>> WE HAVE YET TO SEE WHAT SYSTEMIC CONSEQUENCES THIS LAW WILL HAVE.

>> WE'RE ALREADY SEEING IT.

WE'RE SEEING IT AT ALL LEVELS.

>> WISCONSIN HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS FOUND THEMSELVES IN LEGAL LIMBO AS A NUMBER OF DATED AND CONFLICTING LAWS REMAIN IN STATE STATUTE.

THE DEFAULT LEGAL STANDING FELL BACK TO ONE LAW FROM 1849.

IT SAYS DESTROYING THE LIFE OF AN UNBORN CHILD IS A FELONY EXCEPT TO SAVE THE LIFE OF THE MOTHER.

>> WE DIDN'T EVEN KNOW THAT GERMS CAUSED DISEASE IN 1849.

THIS WAS 70 YEARS BEFORE WOMEN EVEN HAD THE RIGHT TO VOTE.

YOU DIDN'T EVEN OFTEN KNOW YOU WERE PREGNANT UNTIL YOU ACTUALLY COULD FEEL FETAL MOVEMENT.

>> WE ARE IN A SITUATION WHERE THAT INTERPRETATION OF A LAW FROM 1849 IS REALLY A GRAY AREA.

>> NOW WE'RE OPERATING THIS NARROW CHANNEL OF PROVIDING THE BEST CARE AND NOT COMMITTING MALPRACTICE AND BEING CAREFUL NOT TO BREAK A LAW AND SO YOU THINK ABOUT THINGS THAT YOU NEVER HAD TO THINK ABOUT BEFORE.

>> FOLLOWING THE DOBBS DECISION, DOCTORS KRISTEN LYERLY, CHRISTOPHER FORD AND JEN MacINTOSH PUT THEMSELVES FORWARD AS INTERVENERS IN A LAWSUIT FILED BY STATE TORINO JOATTORNEY GENERAL KAUL CHALLENGING THE LAW.

AT THE PLANNED PARENTHOOD CLINIC IN SHEBOYGAN, ONE OF THE FEW THAT PROVIDED ABORTIONS IN THE STATE.

>> TO KNOW THAT THE THERE'S A PE WHERE SOMEONE CAN GO WHERE YOU WILL BE HEARD AND HELP YOU MAKE A DECISION THAT YOU NEED TO MAKE WITHIN THE CONTEXT OF YOUR LIFE, THAT WAS WHAT WE WERE DOING IN SHEBOYGAN, AND I WAS REALLY PROUD OF IT.

>> DR. MacINTOSH WORKS IN MATERNAL FEELINGS MEDICINE, TEACHES AT THE MEDICAL COLLEGE OF WISCONSIN AND CONDUCTS RESEARCH ON PREECLAMPSIA, A SERIOUS CONDITION SHE SEES IN MANY OF HER PATIENTS.

>> THOSE OF US IN THIS MEDICINE HIGHLIGHT OUR SUBSET OF OBSTETRICS AS KIND OF THE HIGHEST OF HIGHS AND SOME OF THE LOWEST OF LOWS BECAUSE WHEN WE HAVE REALLY GREAT OUTCOMES, TEASE SUPER REWARDING BUT AT THE SAME TIME WE HELP FAMILIES THROUGH TRAGIC OUTCOMES AS WELL.

THESE PREGNANT PEOPLE EITHER HAVE HIGH-RISK CONDITIONS THEMSELVES, SO MEDICAL COMPLICATIONS, BUT ON THE FLIP SIDE, WE ALSO TAKE CARE OF FETUSES, SO GET THE MOST FAMILY CENTERED OUTCOME THAT WE CAN.

>> DR. FORD WORKS IN EMERGENCY MEDICINE, WITH EXPERIENCE PRACTICING IN RURAL AND URBAN SETTINGS.

>> AS AN EMERGENCY MEDICINE PROVIDER, I SEE WOMEN THAT ARE PREGNANT WHEN, YOU KNOW, THINGS ARE GOING WRONG MOST OF THE TIME.

WE ARE MANDATED AS EMERGENCY PROVIDERS TO PROVIDE THE MOST SALIENT CARE WE CAN TO PROTECT THE LIVES OF THE PATIENTS PROFESINFRONT OF US, SO INHERENN OUR AREA, IF INSTABILITY FOR THE PATIENT FOR THE LIFE OF THE PATIENT AS WELL.

>> JEN WORKED AS A LABOR AND DELIVERY NURSE.

>> I REALLY DISCOVERED DURING MY CAREER THAT THOSE PARENTS GOING THROUGH DIFFICULT SITUATIONS WERE MY FAVORITES TO TAKE CARE OF.

>> PRIOR TO THE DOBBS RULING, WISCONSIN PATIENTS AND PHYSICIANS HAD MORE OPTIONS WHEN IT CAME TO MAKING DECISIONS ABOUT REPRODUCTIVE HEALTHCARE.

>> WE WOULD HAVE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT WHAT ALL THEIR OPTIONS WERE.

WE WOULD TALK ABOUT EVERYTHING.

SOMETIMES WE WOULD CONNECT THEM WITH PRENATAL CARE.

SOMETIMES WE COULD CONNECT THEM WITH ADOPTION SERVICES.

SOMETIMES THEY WOULD GO HOME AND THINK ABOUT IT AND THEY JUST WOULDN'T RETURN FOR THAT SECOND VISIT, BUT OFTEN THEY DID, AND IT WASN'T UNUSUAL FOR PEOPLE TO THANK US.

>> IT WAS FULL SCOPE CARE BASED ON WHAT THE FAMILIES AND PATIENTS WANTED.

SOMETIMES A DIFFERENT UNDERSTANDING EMERGED AND FAMILIES THAT NEVER SAW THEMSELVES DOING THAT COULDN'T RECONCILE SORT OF WHAT THE AFTER LOOKED LIKE, WHICH IS TO INTERRUPT THE FREE AGENCY AND HAVE AN ABORTION, AND THOSE WERE -- ALWAYS HARD CASES.

PATIENTS THAT WE CRIED WITH, THAT I WOULD GO HOME AND CRY ABOUT.

>> NOW THEY'RE MANAGING REALITIES MUCH DIFFERENT THAN BEFORE.

>> WE STILL PROVIDE THE SAME INFORMATION AND SIMILAR COUNSELING.

IF IT BECOMES CLEAR THAT THEY'RE LEANING TOWARDS A TERMINATION, I HAVE TO SAY, UNFORTUNATELY, THIS IS ILLEGAL IN THE STATE OF WISCONSIN, AND IF THIS IS WHAT YOU CHOOSE TO PURSUE, THEN WE'LL HAVE TO GIVE YOU INFORMATION ON HOW TO PURSUE THIS OUT OF STATE, AND IT FEELS LIKE I'M ABANDONING MY PATIENTS AND N SAYING THAT.

>> TODAY, I AM NOT WORKING IN WISCONSIN BECAUSE OF A LAWSUIT, BECAUSE OF THE THREAT OF CRIMINALIZATION FOR PROVIDING MY PATIENTS WITH STANDARD OF CARE MEDICINE.

SO I HAVE THE JOY OF WORKING IN RURAL MINNESOTA AND NORTHERN ARIZONA ON THE NAVAHO RESERVATION.

SO IN A WAY, IT'S VERY SATISFYING.

BUT THE TRUTH IS, I WANT TO BE HOME.

>> IT'S BECOME A HUGE PROBLEM.

IT'S NOT A SITUATION THAT ANY OF US WANT.

>> A CENTRAL ISSUE PHYSICIANS MUST NOW NAVIGATE IS THE EXCEPTION TO SAVE THE LIFE OF THE MOTHER.

>> THE LAW AS WRITTEN IN THE STATE OF WISCONSIN IS STILL VERY GREAT.

THE NEXT PRESENTATION THAT PATIENT MAY BE IN FULL-BLOWN SEPSIS, MAY BE SOMETHING THAT IS THREATENING FOR THE LIFE OF THE MOTHER.

WE'VE HEARD REPORTS IN OTHER STATES THAT HAVE VERY STRICT ABORTION BANS LIKE WE DO HERE IN WISCONSIN IN WHICH WE'VE HAD PATIENTS THAT HAVE BEEN TOLD TO WAIT IN THE CAR UNTIL THEY BECOME EVEN MORE UNSTABLE IN ORDER TO PRESENT TO THE EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT, SO AT THAT POINT IN TIME, THEY CAN DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT.

NOW, OF COURSE THAT'S AN EGREGIOUS EXAMPLE AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE DON'T ASPIRE TO.

HOWEVER, THAT IS SOMEONE'S INTERPRETATION OF THE LAW IN STATES THAT HAVE STRICTER ABORTION LAWS, SUCH AS WISCONSIN.

WE SEE MORBIDITY AND MORTALITY, SIMPLE SPECIFICALLY MORTALITY FR MOTHERS GO UP 60%.

>> IT'S INTRINSICALLY VAGUE, WHICH THEN CAUSES PHYSICIANS TO POTENTIALLY SECOND-GUESS, LIKE IS THIS RISKY ENOUGH?

EVERYONE WHO PRACTICES MEDICINE KNOWS IT CAN BE VERY GRAY FOR A WHILE AND THEN BECOME VERY BLACK AND WHITE, AND THE LONGER YOU WAIT TO INTERVENE, THE WORSE THE OUTCOMES ARE IN GENERAL.

>> THERE WAS A TIME WHEN I WAS IN MINNESOTA WHERE SOMEONE PRESENTED IN AN EMERGENCY IN AN AMBULANCE.

SHE WAS BLEEDING.

SHE WAS 21 WEEKS PREGNANT WITH A DESIRED PREGNANCY BUT SHE WAS BLEEDING SO MUCH, SHE HAD TO GO TO THE OPERATING ROOM RIGHT AWAY, AND I HAD TO PERFORM AN ABORTION, AND I COULDN'T HELP WEBUT TO THINK TO MYSELF, IF THS WAS HAPPENING TO ME IN WISCONSIN, I WOULD BE TERRIFIED ABOUT WHAT THE NEXT STEPS WOULD BE, ABOUT WHAT THE IMPLICATIONS FOR MY FUTURE, MY CAREER WOULD BE.

>> THERE WILL STILL ALWAYS BE SOME PROVIDERS WHO ARE VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THAT, AS THEY RIGHTLY SO SHOULD BE.

THERE'S RISK OF PROSECUTION UP TO SIX YEARS AS WELL AS A $10,000 FINE.

THERE'S THINGS THAT WILL LIKELY BE IN THE BACK OF A LOT OF PROVIDERS' MINDS, ESPECIALLY THOSE PRACTICING IN MORE RURAL LOCATIONS.

>> HAVING THE PROCEDURE DONE WITHOUT ANY ADDITIONAL BARRIERS MADE ALL THE DIFFERENCE FOR JEN.

>> DEALING WITH THE GRIEF AND THE STRESS TO HAVE TO JUMP THROUGH THOSE EXTRA HOOPS WHILE ALSO DEALING WITH THAT, I HONESTLY DON'T KNOW HOW I WOULD NAVIGATE IT.

SO NOW WHEN I LOOK BACK, I FEEL SO RECOVERED AND HEALED.

I ALSO WOULDN'T HAVE MY SON IF I DIDN'T HAVE THIS ABORTION BECAUSE OF THE TIMING IF I HAD TO CARRY IT TO TERM.

JULIAN, HE IS -- HE JUST TURNED SIX AND HE IS ONE OF THE MOST JOYFUL AND CURIOUS PEOPLE I'VE EVER MET.

HE JUST KIND OF IS A BALL OF ENERGY.

HE COMES IN HERE AND RUNS AND JUMPS OVER MY COUCH AND IS VERY SNUGGLY AND TELLS ME ALL THE TIME HOW MUCH HE LOVES ME.

THE MORE WE TRY TO FOCUS ON IS THAT RIGHT OR WRONG OR IS THAT OKAY, THE MORE WE'RE FOCUSED ON MAKING CHOICES FOR OTHER PEOPLE WHEN WE'RE NOT INVOLVED IN THEIR HEALTHCARE AND WE'RE NOT MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS.

>> PHYSICIANS WORRY NOT ONLY ABOUT THE CONSEQUENCES TODAY, BUT THOSE YET TO COME.

>> THERE'S CERTAINLY A DOMINO EFFECTS.

>> AND WHAT I'M SEEING OVER AND OVER AGAIN IS THIS GETTING WORSE OVER TIME, AND A LOT OF THAT HAS TO DO WITH THE ACCESS OF HEALTHCARE, WITH THE ACCESS OF, YOU KNOW, CARE TO GYNECOLOGY.

A LOT OF THESE WOMEN IN THESE AREAS RELY ON THEIR OB/GYNS AS PRIMARY CARE, TO BE HONEST WITH YOU, AND A LOT OF THAT MORTALITY INCREASE THAT WE'RE SEEING IS THE LACK OF THE ABILITY TO HAVE FOLLOW-UP, NOT ONLY AS WE SAID BEFORE ARE WE CREATING THOSE HEALTHCARE DESERTS IN RURAL SETTINGS, WE'RE DOING THAT IN INNER CITY SETTINGS, TOO, WHICH ARE ALREADY HAVING A LOT OF ISSUES INHERENT TO ACCESS OF CARE AND GENERAL AS WELL AS HEALTHCARE OUTCOMES, AND SO THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT FOR ME PERSONALLY I TAKE MUCH STAKE IN.

IT'S SOMETHING THAT I WILL CONTINUE TO FIGHT FOR THESE PATIENTS BECAUSE THEY NEED A VOICE.

EVERYBODY NEEDS A VOICE IN THIS FIGHT AND A LOT OF THE VOICES THAT ARE AT THE TABLE RIGHT NOW DON'T SEE THESE PATIENTS AND THEY DON'T HAVE ANY MEDICAL BACKGROUND, AND THEY'RE MAKING THESE DECISIONS.

>> I TALK TO RECRUITERS ALL THE TIME WHO ARE LOOKING FOR DOCTORS IN STATES LIKE TEXAS, AND IT'S NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE TO FIND DOCTORS WHO ARE WILLING TO GO TO STATES THAT HAVE SUCH HOSTILE BANS.

SO, YEAH, I THINK THIS IS THE TIP OF THE ICEBERG, AND IF WE CAN'T TURN THIS SHIP AROUND, THIS DIRE PHYSICIAN SHORTAGE THAT WE ARE ALREADY EXPERIENCING IS GOING TO GET MUCH WORSE, FAMILY MEDICINE DOCTORS, WHO ARE THE SAFETY NET IN RURAL WISCONSIN, WHERE PEOPLE ARE ALREADY SUFFERING.

>> MOST OF ALL, THESE HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS WANT TO GO BACK TO THE LAW AS IT STOOD IN WISCONSIN PRIOR TO THE DOBBS RULING.

>> I JUST WANT TO DO MY JOB.

THE FACT THAT POLITICS ARE TRYING TO BE PRESENT IN MY EXAM ROOM, PRESENT IN THE BACK OF MY MIND AS I'M LOOKING AT A PATIENT AND TALKING TO HER -- TO THAT PATIENT AND THEIR FAMILY, THAT IT'S IMPACTING THAT AT ALL FEELS CRAZY TO ME BECAUSE, REALLY, WE SHOULD JUST BE PROVIDING THE BEST EVIDENCE-BASED MEDICAL CARE THAT WE CAN THAT'S RIGHT FOR THAT PATIENT AND RIGHT FOR THEIR FAMILY.

>> REPORTING FOR "HERE AND NOW," I'M MARISA WOJCIK.

>> AS TO THE LAWSUIT CHALLENGING THE WISCONSIN ABORTION BAN, ATTORNEY GENERAL KAUL IS SEEKING TO EXPEDITE AN INJUNCTION RELATED TO A RECENTLY CIRCUIT COURT DECISION IN THE CASE.

THE CASE IS EXPECTED TO END UP BEFORE THE STATE SUPREME COURT.

FOR MORE ON THIS AND OUR PREVIOUS REPORTING ON ABORTION IN WISCONSIN, INCLUDING HEARING FROM WOMEN WHO HAVE HAD AN ABORTION AND PREGNANCY RESOURCE CENTERS THAT DISCOURAGE THEM, VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT PBS