Access to Abortion

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. In 2021, Texas lawmakers passed SB 8, the most extreme abortion ban in the country. And in August 2022, they implemented the Texas trigger law, which makes providing an abortion a felony with nearly no exceptions.

Both SB 8 and the Texas trigger ban have no exceptions for rape, incest, or fetal anomaly. SB 8 is so far-reaching it would allow out-of-state anti-abortion groups to sue the family members of rape victims for driving a patient to a clinic.

The right to have an abortion is meaningless if it’s not accessible.

Learn more about SB 8

Learn more about the Texas trigger ban

Barriers to Abortion Care in Texas

Texas Trigger Ban: The Texas trigger ban was implemented after the Supreme Court decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization. The trigger ban makes providing an abortion a felony with no exceptions for rape or incest. Texas’s web of barriers to accessing care as seen below remain in place. 

SB 8 6-week ban: SB 8 not only bans abortion before many people know they’re pregnant — it also allows any person, anywhere, to sue providers, abortion funds, and family members for any perceived violation of the ban. SB 8 has essentially shut down access to abortion in Texas.

Finding a provider: 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. 

Paying for abortion care: The cost of an abortion starts at $450 — and most Texans have to pay out of pocket. Texas law limits private insurance from covering abortion care unless you buy a separate waiver policy. Policies like the Hyde amendment also deny coverage for abortion to people who get insurance through Medicaid and Tricare.  

Waiting periods: 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.

Medical interference: Texas law requires a sonogram before an abortion—for most pregnancies, that means a medically unnecessary, invasive transvaginal ultrasound. Texas law also requires people seeking an abortion to receive medically inaccurate counseling before their abortion. 

Procedure bans: 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. 

Telemedicine and medication abortion: Texas law 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.

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.

When we fight and win here, the impact is enormous — it is a galvanizing victory for abortion rights and the larger fight for justice and equity across the nation.

Join the Abortion Rights Majority

We’re working for a better Texas: where every person is trusted, thriving, and free to pursue the life they want. Take action to protect abortion access in Texas and sign up for updates.

BREAKING: Supreme Court Overturns Roe v Wade

Texas could soon criminalize all abortion. But together, we still have the power to take back our futures. Right now, Avow canvassers are working in the field and talking to voters about what abortion access means to our communities.

When we win back abortion rights at the state level, no out-of-touch, extreme judge will ever have the power to take it away again. Rush a donation and commit to restoring abortion access in Texas.

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Invest in Long-Term Advocacy: Become an Avow Bluebonnet!

When we win back abortion rights at the state level, no out-of-touch, extreme judge will ever have the power to take it away again. Rush a donation and commit to restoring abortion access in Texas.

If you’ve saved your payment information with ActBlue Express, your monthly recurring donation will go through immediately:

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.

If you’ve saved your payment information with ActBlue Express, your donation will go through immediately:

NARAL Pro-Choice Texas is now Avow!

To avow means to declare openly, bluntly, and without shame. Now more than ever, our state needs bold and unapologetic advocacy for abortion rights.

As an independent, Texas-based organization, Avow will continue our work at the state and local level — where the decisions that most impact Texans are happening.

Together, we can build a Texas where every person is trusted, thriving, and free to pursue the life they want.

Learn more about our new name, inspired by bold and unapologetic abortion advocates like you!