Texans under the age of 18 faced more barriers to getting an abortion than any other age group in the months after the state enacted its six-week abortion ban in 2021, a new study published in the American Journal of Public Health finds.
Researchers looked at the nine months after Senate Bill 8 outlawed all abortions after fetal cardiac activity was detected — typically around five to six weeks into pregnancy. That period was compared to the same September to May period from 2020-2021, before the policy change.
The total number of facility-based abortions received by Texas minors decreased by nearly 60%, compared to a nearly 42% decrease among adults between ages 25 and 29.
The study also factored in abortions given to Texans in six surrounding states: Arkansas, Colorado, Kansas, Louisiana, New Mexico and Oklahoma. More Texans of all ages traveled out of state to receive abortions during the study period. For instance, just 62 Texas minors traveled out of state for abortions in the September to May period prior to SB8's enactment. That number rose to 366 in the nine months after SB8 became law in Texas.
However, that increase in out-of-state abortions did not offset the overall decrease in procedures. Researchers found that overall abortions decreased by 26% among Texans younger than 18 during the study period, compared to 17% for adults between ages 25 and 29. Younger adults in the 18-24 age group also saw a larger decrease of close to 20%.
"This is also a group of folks who are just starting out on their own," said Dr. Kari White, one of the paper's authors, who is affiliated with the Texas-based Resound Research for Reproductive Health. "They may still be living with a parent. They don't have a lot of extra financial resources. Maybe they don't even have a car to be able to get someplace out of state."
The new AJPH study follows a 2024 analysis out of the University of Houston that showed births to teenage mothers in Texas slightly increased after SB8 became law.
New abortion laws have been implemented since the period examined in the AJPH study. When the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the federal right to abortion in 2022, all abortions became illegal in Texas, with a small exception for medical emergencies. Other nearby states also introduced bans.
"It is likely that there are even greater barriers now for young people getting access to facility-based abortion care," White said. "Rather than being able to go to Oklahoma for abortion care, people are now facing the closest clinic being in Kansas or Colorado."
White's study also does not factor in the use of medication abortions obtained online or through telemedicine, which have become more common in recent years. She said data on use of those abortion pills broken down by age group is not yet available — but noted that facility-based care remains the only option for some women based on various health factors and how far along they are in pregnancy.
Clarification: This story was updated to reflect that the study factored in medication abortions tied to facility-based care. Medication abortions obtained through telemedicine, however, were not included in the data.
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