Changes in Facility-Based Abortion Care Among Texas Resident Minors and Young Adults After a 2021 Abortion Ban: September 2020–May 2022.

Objectives. To compare changes in the number of facility-based abortions among Texas residents in different age groups following the state's 2021 law prohibiting abortion after detection of embryonic cardiac activity. Methods. We obtained data from Texas and 6 surrounding states on Texas residents'...

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Published in:American Journal of Public Health Vol. 116; no. 3; pp. 337 - 341
Main Authors: White, Kari, Sierra, Gracia, Whitfield, Brooke, Tocce, Kristina, Dickman, Samuel L., Goyal, Vinita
Format: Article
Published: American Public Health Association Mar2026
Subjects:
Online Access:View this record in EBSCOhost
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      dt: Mar2026
      vid: 116
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      pub: American Public Health Association
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        191486658
        10.2105/AJPH.2025.308289
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        atl: Changes in Facility-Based Abortion Care Among Texas Resident Minors and Young Adults After a 2021 Abortion Ban: September 2020–May 2022.
      aug:
        au:
          White, Kari
          Sierra, Gracia
          Whitfield, Brooke
          Tocce, Kristina
          Dickman, Samuel L.
          Goyal, Vinita
        affil:
          Resound Research for Reproductive Health, Austin, TX.
          Department of Sociology, University of Texas at Austin
          Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains, Denver, CO.
          Planned Parenthood of Montana, Billings, MT
          Alamo Women’s Clinic of Albuquerque, Albuquerque, NM.
      su:
        Texas
        Health services accessibility
        Reproductive health
        Health policy
        Quantitative research
        Health facilities
        Reproductive rights
        Abortion laws
        Patient autonomy
        Maternal health services
        Descriptive statistics
        Confidence intervals
        Comparative studies
        Regression analysis
      sug:
        subj:
          Health services accessibility
          Reproductive health
          Health policy
          Quantitative research
          Health facilities
          Reproductive rights
          Texas
          All Other Outpatient Care Centers
          Administration of Public Health Programs
          Abortion laws
          Patient autonomy
          Maternal health services
          Descriptive statistics
          Confidence intervals
          Comparative studies
          Regression analysis
      ab: Objectives. To compare changes in the number of facility-based abortions among Texas residents in different age groups following the state's 2021 law prohibiting abortion after detection of embryonic cardiac activity. Methods. We obtained data from Texas and 6 surrounding states on Texas residents' age at abortion from state vital statistics and data provided directly by out-of-state abortion facilities. Using negative binomial regression, we estimated the percentage change in abortions before (September 2020–May 2021) and after (September 2021–May 2022) the law went into effect. Results. After the law's implementation, total (in-state and out-of-state) facility-based abortions decreased by 26.1% (95% confidence interval [CI] = −32.7%, −18.8%) among Texans younger than 18 years, by 19.6% (95% CI = −21.4%, −17.7%) among young adult Texans aged 18 to 24 years, and by 17.0% (95% CI = −19.1%, −14.8%) among Texans aged 25 to 29 years. Conclusions. Texas's law disproportionately affected access to facility-based abortion care among Texans aged 24 years and younger. Public Health Implications. State laws prohibiting abortions in early pregnancy disproportionately affect young people's reproductive autonomy, likely by compounding long-standing financial and logistical barriers to facility-based care.
      pubtype: Academic Journal
      doctype: Article
      src: R
    language: English
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