The consequences of Texas’ restrictive abortion law

Mady decided to get an abortion, which would have been legal in any state, except one – Texas. Last year, the Republican-dominated legislature passed a new law which gives a woman in Texas not the standard 23 or 24 weeks, but approximately six weeks to get an abortion after conception – and that includes in cases of rape and incest.

Mady was already past her six-week deadline. And to her dismay, she discovered that the clinics that provide abortions in the state surrounding Texas were, not surprisingly, booked for weeks with Texas women. She had no choice but to wait more than a month.

MADY: So I drove all the way to Mississippi through the night with my father. And then after the initial visit, they’re like, you can come in on this day at this time next week. And so right after my appointment, we turned around and drove back to Texas.

Dermish says Texas has also limited pregnant women’s access to abortion pills. This law became active in December, and it bans sending abortion pills through the mail. It limits the opportunity to get pills in Texas to just seven weeks after pregnancy, not the nine to 11 weeks available in other states.

https://www.boisestatepublicradio.org/2022-02-17/the-consequences-of-texas-restrictive-abortion-law