Texas Abortion Restrictions

Featured coverage

How to get birth control and emergency contraception in Texas

by María Méndez July 5, 2022

Contraception options are available through most health insurance plans and government-funded clinics. Full Story 

Latest coverage

• Can adoption replace abortion? Experts say it’s a lot more complicated than it sounds

  by Cecilia Lenzen Aug. 12, 2022

  Experts on adoption and abortion say lawmakers must work to provide financial and mental health support to birth parents, adoptive parents and adoptees in order to make the adoption process a better option for those with unwanted pregnancies. Full Story 

• Abortion should be permitted in cases of rape and incest, around 80% of Texas voters say in UT poll

  by Eric Lau Aug. 10, 2022

  Polling from the Texas Politics Project finds registered voters opinions’ on abortion are at odds with Texas laws. Full Story 

• Because of Texas abortion law, her wanted pregnancy became a medical nightmare

  by Carrie Feibel, NPR Aug. 3, 2022

  The state’s abortion law brings a new layer of obstacles for Texas women with complicated pregnancies. Full Story 

• Texas abortion clinics weigh whether to relocate or refocus

  by Eleanor Klibanoff July 26, 2022

  Some clinics are relocating to “haven states” where abortion will continue to be legal. Others are investing in sexual and reproductive health efforts beyond abortion access. Full Story 

• New Texas law increasing penalties for abortion providers goes into effect Aug. 25

  by Eleanor Klibanoff Updated: July 27, 2022

  The U.S. Supreme Court issued its judgment Tuesday in the Mississippi case that revoked a constitutional right to abortion. That means Texas’ “trigger law” severely limiting the procedure will soon take effect. Full Story 

• Lawyers preparing for abortion prosecutions warn about health care, data privacy

  by Eleanor Klibanoff July 25, 2022

  While people consider deleting period tracking apps and worry about interstate travel restrictions, most pregnancy-related criminalizations start in a much simpler way: with a report from a health care provider. Full Story 

• Texas laws say treatments for miscarriages, ectopic pregnancies remain legal but leave lots of space for confusion

  by María Méndez July 20, 2022

  Treatments for certain pregnancy complications are distinct from abortions under Texas laws, experts say, but confusion has already limited some patients’ access to life-saving procedures and medicines. Full Story 

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• Texas universities grapple with how to provide reproductive health care information to students amid new abortion laws

  by Kate McGee Updated: July 22, 2022

  The changing legal landscape is raising questions for public colleges about how to talk to students about reproductive health care options and creating hesitancy among students about whether they can trust their universities’ health centers. Full Story 

• U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar arrested outside Supreme Court during protest over Roe reversal

  by Matthew Choi July 19, 2022

  Escobar was part of a demonstration with several other Democratic congresswomen, including high-profile Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y.; Carolyn Maloney, D-N.Y.; Ilhan Omar, D-Minn.; and Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass; all of whom were also arrested. Full Story 

• Texas abortion foes use legal threats and propose more laws to increase pressure on providers and their allies

  by Karen Brooks Harper July 18, 2022

  No criminal charges have been filed under two current Texas laws restricting abortion, but abortion opponents are looking to build on the momentum of recent victories, including the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade. Full Story 

• Texas Democrats to Biden: Protect out-of-state providers who prescribe abortion-inducing medication

  by William Melhado July 16, 2022

  The request for a public health emergency declaration was part of a set of recommendations to allow abortion access to Texans who might not be able to travel out of state. Full Story 

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• Texas hospitals are putting pregnant patients at risk by denying care out of fear of abortion laws, medical group says

  by Reese Oxner and María Méndez July 15, 2022

  Medical professionals across the state have expressed confusion over what care they can provide amid Texas’ abortion ban, leading to some patients allegedly receiving delayed care or being turned away. Full Story 

• U.S. House approves Rep. Lizzie Fletcher’s bill to protect the right to seek an abortion out of state

  by Eric Neugeboren Updated: July 15, 2022

  The bill would also shield the rights of any person or group helping someone get an abortion out of state. Full Story 

• Texas sues after Biden administration issues guidance saying doctors can perform abortions in emergencies

  by Reese Oxner Updated: July 14, 2022

  Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton argues the Biden administration is violating the state’s “sovereign interest” by reassuring the nation’s doctors they can perform abortions in medical emergencies. Full Story 

• IVF treatment can continue under Texas’ current abortion law, experts say

  by María Méndez Updated: July 15, 2022

  Doctors and legal experts say Texas’ anti-abortion laws haven’t yet affected fertility treatments, and it appears an unlikely target for anti-abortion groups in the state for now. Full Story 

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• Linda Coffee argued Roe v. Wade. Now, she’s watching its demise.

  by Eleanor Klibanoff July 12, 2022

  Coffee was just 30 when the U.S. Supreme Court agreed with her argument that the constitutional right to privacy extended to abortion: “I thought, OK, well this is done now. I was thinking the [abortion] question was settled for as long as the country lasted.” Full Story 

• How the end of Roe and the Uvalde school shooting could reshape the race for Texas governor

  by Patrick Svitek July 5, 2022

  A history-making spring in Texas is laying the groundwork for a contentious final four months in the race to lead the state, where Republican incumbent Greg Abbott remains the favorite but is confronting his toughest Democratic opponent yet in Beto O’Rourke. Full Story 

• Texas can enforce 1925 abortion ban, state Supreme Court says

  by Zach Despart July 2, 2022

  The ruling Friday night exposes abortion providers to fines and lawsuits even before the state’s trigger law goes into effect. Full Story 

• At a New Mexico abortion clinic, calls flood in from Texas and wait time for appointments grows

  by Jolie McCullough July 1, 2022

  The University of New Mexico Center for Reproductive Health is one of only three clinics in the state that perform abortion procedures. The clinic’s doctors say people from Texas make up more than 75% of their patients. Full Story 

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• Facing higher teen pregnancy and maternal mortality rates, Black women will largely bear the brunt of abortion limits

  by Cecilia Lenzen June 30, 2022

  About 40% of women who get abortions in the U.S. are Black, and advocates say abortion bans like Texas’ will increase their health and financial risks. Full Story