A Tennessee court has issued a preliminary order that partially blocks the state’s near-total abortion ban, offering a narrow pathway for medically necessary abortions while a broader legal battle unfolds.
The three-judge panel ruled that abortions must be permitted if a woman’s water breaks or her cervix opens prematurely before the fetus can survive, or if the fetus is diagnosed with a fatal condition endangering the mother’s health. This ruling also shields doctors from penalties for performing abortions under these circumstances.
The state’s current ban prohibits nearly all abortions, with only a slim exception to prevent death or irreversible harm to the mother. However, the plaintiffs—a group of seven women denied critical care—argued that the medical exception is dangerously vague. The court sided with them in part, finding the wording unclear and potentially unconstitutional under Tennessee’s right-to-life protections.
Although the state acknowledged that these specific conditions fall under the law’s medical exception for now, the court refused to expand the ruling to include all abortions deemed necessary by a doctor’s medical judgment.
Tennessee’s attorney general described the court’s decision as limited, insisting the existing law already ensures access to care for serious health risks. But advocates with the Center for Reproductive Rights, which represents the plaintiffs, called the decision a victory for women denied timely medical intervention.
The lawsuit will continue, with plaintiffs seeking a final judgment on whether the ban’s medical exception holds up under legal scrutiny.
