CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Some doctors in North Carolina worry what the new 12-week abortion ban bill will do to OB-GYN access across the state if passed.

The best part of being a doctor for Dr. Katie Wilson Borders is that she never knows what her day will bring.

“I get to deliver babies one day, do surgery to help people the next day and then be in clinic,” Borders said. “And get to have relationships with my patients that I've had for 10 years.”


What You Need To Know

  •  Dr. Katie Wilson Borders is an OB-GYN in Shelby

  •  She's concerned the 12-week abortion ban bill is too vague

  •  She says it could limit the state's ability to attract and retain qualified OB-GYN's

After graduating from med school at Chapel Hill, Borders decided to come back to her hometown of Shelby, North Carolina, about an hour outside of Charlotte, to provide OB-GYN services to the community.

It's something that is becoming increasingly harder to find in rural areas of states like North Carolina. It is also a major shortage Borders believes will get even worse if the 12-week abortion ban becomes law in North Carolina.

“They're even asking it when they're coming to interview for residency spots in North Carolina. The first thing they want to know is, what is abortion access like in North Carolina?” Borders said. “And for a lot of them, that can be a deal breaker.”

Under the proposed law, which passed in both the House and Senate, most abortions will be illegal after 12 weeks of pregnancy.

Even with exceptions for rape, incest, to save the life of the mother or for "life-limiting abnormalities," Borders fears it’s too vague.

“It's not a black and white issue,” Borders said. “You know, there is not a list that we can write down of exceptions for when a termination is what is necessary, because that's not how people are.”

If the bill becomes law, Borders feels it will limit a doctor’s ability to provide proper care.

“We don't go by a list that says, 'oh, yes, we do this here.' No, we don't do this here. We have to take into account the entire situation. And then based on our knowledge and resources available, counsel the patient on what the options are and then allow her to make that decision, that that's what we were trained to do and that's what this law is keeping us from doing,” she said.

Gov. Roy Cooper has vetoed the 12-week abortion ban

As for what happens next, the bill will go back to the legislature, where Republicans hold a supermajority and could override the veto.