On Sept. 1st, 2021, the new Texas law in which abortions cannot be performed six weeks into pregnancy went into effect by Gov. Greg Abbott.
This law is designed specifically to prevent Texas clinics that detect a heartbeat early in pregnancy from allowing abortions past that marker.
As almost a month has passed since the ban was put in place, many women are worried that this could affect those who are seeking reproductive health services.
Dr. Amy Addante, who researches the impact of restrictions on abortion access, says that those who are in need of abortions may face difficulties if going through with it out of state.
“Patients who travel further to obtain abortion care experience greater hardships related to travel, finances, work, and childcare consideration,” Addante said. “Increasing the availability of abortion services in a patient’s local community may decrease these hardships, especially when travel is a major contributor.”
Other difficulties include finding a place to stay, inclement weather, delaying an abortion, and supporting lost wages.
With the statewide prohibition coming into play, researchers like Addante are looking into what can be done for women who need assistance.
“Understanding the experiences and challenges of women who are unable to overcome financial or logistical barriers to obtaining abortion care remains an important area of future research,” Addante said.
The Department of Justice is currently preparing to take legal action to challenge the restrictive abortion law after the U.S. Supreme Court declined a request to stop the law from going into effect.