The 9,800 additional births that occurred in Texas are not the only measurement of the restrictions on abortion’s effects.
On September 20, 2021, Texas approved Senate Bill 8, also known as SB8, which prohibited abortions beginning in the first five weeks following the commencement of a woman’s final menstrual cycle. This law effectively bans abortions in Texas, where previously abortions that lasted up to 22 weeks were allowed.
We weren’t able to determine who would be most impacted by this change in policy. The effects of restrictions on abortion aren’t felt equally by individuals who live in the U.S. Many who seek out abortion services encounter barriers that intersect – poverty or structural racism, status as a migrant or status as minors–that make accessing safe abortions incredibly difficult. The information on the provisional birth certificate did not allow us to separate the changes in live births per month according to the birthing person’s characteristics.
The potential long-term impact on women and their families
We were not able to analyze the long-term and short-term effects on the families of women who had an unplanned birth during this time. However, the results of the UCSF’s The Turnaway Study which I did not participate in, suggest that women who have not had the option of abortion will more often suffer financial hardship for a long time after the birth and are more likely to be in contact with violent partners. Also, they’re more likely to suffer from poorer health, and their children experience lower development rates in addition to being more likely to be in poverty.
We are aware that the vast majority of women who are seeking abortions live under or near the poverty line, and it’s possible that many of the birthing mothers, along with their parents in Texas, had financial difficulties even prior to the birth of their baby.
This is compounded by the fact that states that have restricted or banned abortions following the Dobbs decision, and after SB8 in Texas have not implemented similar programs that improve infant and maternal health, or to help families who are in need. These states are among the most deficient indicators of wellbeing for children and women.
Not yet assessed The impact on Dobbs
SB8 was passed in September 2021. Data for 2022 was released just a few months back. Dobbs was about a year later and, therefore, the births are happening in 2023 and the data won’t be released until the following year. Any impact of Dobbs and the subsequent changes to policy in Texas or anywhere else would not be recorded in these statistics due to the timeframe and the impact of policy change.
We could see a more significant impact on the number of live births that are given to Texans because nearly all abortions in Texas are illegal, and many of the states in the region have also banned abortion. We’ve also seen the results of The Society for Family Planning’s WeCount Study that suggest that pregnant women are traveling farther and further in order to access abortion services afterDobbs. Dobbs, which means it’s becoming increasingly difficult for those who are unable to overcome the obstacles in accessing timely abortion services.
Self-managed medication abortions may fill in gaps
A lot of people are becoming aware of and taking medication abortion pills that are available online from sellers, and self-managed abortions are likely to become a significant portion of abortions within the U.S. as more people become aware of the alternative.
How these two elements are in balance – the increased bans and additional barriers to accessing care together with the self-managed, safe medication abortion option, will determine the impact that will be had of live births.
However, it’s crucial to be aware that the options to terminate an unborn baby outside of a clinic in your home state aren’t universally accessible to all. The reality is that there will always be those who cannot travel, don’t have access to information online about medications for abortion, or do not have the money to buy these pills on the internet. They will be the ones to suffer the most severe consequences from the recent ban on abortions and restrictions imposed by the Dobbs decision.
Are Texas an exception?
Texas is distinctive in many ways. It’s a large state that has lots of births. Before the restrictions, Texas had a number of abortion clinics in comparison to other states where there is only one provider across the state. Therefore, there was a greater number of abortions in Texas than in other states that have been banned from abortion.
In a state such as Missouri, where the number of abortions was lower even prior to Dobbs, The total effect of a ban on abortion may be less significant than the 9800 babies that were above the expected rate that we witnessed in Texas. I believe the number of births will be smaller those states were pro-abortion prior to Dobbs but have now enacted restrictions.
