State of Access: Texas Abortion Restrictions

Every Texan should have access to safe, legal abortion regardless of their income or zip code.  Yet abortion can be difficult to access — extremists at every level of government are enforcing laws that make it harder for Texans to get the healthcare they need.

For decades, anti-abortion extremists have chipped away at abortion access in Texas. The right to have an abortion is meaningless if it’s not accessible. 

Do you know the barriers to abortion access in Texas? Take the quiz to find out.

TRUE OR FALSE?
When you get an abortion, you and your doctor will decide your options based on medical facts, not political interference.
FALSE
Instead of patients and doctors determining the best care for an individual, Texas legislators used junk science to ban safe and effective abortion procedures that other states allow. Texas law also requires a sonogram before an abortion — for most pregnancies, that means a medically unnecessary, invasive transvaginal ultrasound — and requires people seeking an abortion to receive medically inaccurate counseling before their abortion.
TRUE OR FALSE?
Most Texans have insurance plans that cover abortion.
FALSE
Most Texans have to pay out of pocket for abortion care. Texas law limits private insurance from covering abortion care unless you buy a separate waiver policy. Federal policies like the Hyde amendment also deny coverage for abortion to people who get insurance through Medicaid and Tricare.
TRUE OR FALSE?
Patients are required to visit a clinic at least twice and wait 24 hours before getting an abortion.
TRUE
Texas law requires a 24-hour waiting period before an abortion, which forces people to attend a second, medically unnecessary appointment in person. Waiting periods especially hurt rural Texans, parents, and low-income people, who need to take additional time off from work, find child care, and may need to travel and pay for lodging.
TRUE OR FALSE?
Most Texas communities have an abortion clinic.
FALSE
Texas legislators have passed a series of targeted restrictions on abortion providers (TRAP laws) that make it harder for clinics to keep doors open and for professionals to provide abortion services. The result? Nearly half of all Texas clinics have closed since 2013, and nearly 900,000 Texans live more than 150 miles from a clinic.

Texas prohibits abortion care through telemedicine and limits the time medication abortion is allowed. These medically unnecessary restrictions make it harder for rural Texans to access care, especially during a pandemic.
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It’s up to us to stop new Texas abortion restrictions before they are exported to other states. Through community-building, education, and political advocacy, Avow is working hard to secure unrestricted abortion care and reproductive rights and freedom for every Texan.

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FIGHT THE TEXAS ABORTION BAN

SB 8 bans abortion as early as 6 weeks and puts a $10,000 bounty on anyone who helps someone get abortion care. Now more than ever, we need unapologetic abortion rights advocates to lay the groundwork to defeat anti-abortion lawmakers.

Chip in to organize Texans to restore abortion access in our state. The organizing we do today determines the gains we make in 2022.

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