ABC News Photo Illustration / Alex Gilbeaux(NEW YORK) Dr. Nicole Teal, a maternal fetal medicine specialist, had just finished her training in North Carolina, when she was offered a good position in the state that would have allowed her to stay closer to family.
But there was one problem: North Carolina s 12-week abortion ban set to go into effect on July 1.
She has chosen to move to California.
"Being able to provide abortion care after 20 weeks is really fundamental to my practice and comes up for me on a weekly basis," Teal told ABC News.
Teal said that she often diagnoses fetal anomalies sometime between 18 and 20 weeks of pregnancy because many anomalies cannot be seen earlier in pregnancy. Providing abortion care could come even later.
Patients often do not develop high-risk conditions until after 21 weeks of pregnancy, Teal said, so the state s current 20-week ban is already changing how she s allowed to practice medicine.
"It s really put me in a position
Doctors face tough decision to leave states with abortion bans - WEIS | Local & Area News, Sports, & Weather
weisradio.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from weisradio.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Gunned down in LGBTQ+ safe space, these Club Q survivors refuse to hide in fear
go.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from go.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.