According to a University of Houston report, the increase reverses a 15-year trend. And unwanted pregnancies will rise, researchers predict.

The increase reverses a 15-year trend. And unwanted pregnancies will rise, researchers predict.

A 15-year decline in Texas teen birth rates slid to a stop—and converted into a modest increase in 2022, the year after the state Legislature implemented what was the nation’s strongest ban on abortion, according to new report from the University of Houston’s Institute for Research on Women, Gender & Sexuality.

The UH report, based on Centers for Disease Control (CDC) data, showed that Texas teen birth rates rose in 2022 by less than 1 percent, but any increase stood out, given that those rates had fallen 67 percent since 2007. The significant reductions occurred thanks to more reliable contraception, including Plan B, as well as abortion access, Institute Director Elizabeth Gregory said in an interview with the Texas Observer.

“For Texas to have a moment when [the teen birth rate is] going up while the national birth rate continues to decline, it shows an influence of that new policy,” she said. Birth rates among Texas teens remain consistently higher than in other states, and more Texas teens give birth to multiple children than anywhere else.

  • PrincessLeiasCat@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
    0·
    9 months ago

    Resources for Texans seeking access to healthcare:

    https://aidaccess.org/en/

    https://teafund.org/

    https://wrrap.org/about-wrrap/

    https://abortionfunds.org/

    If you need help getting an abortion go to these sites:

    https://www.plancpills.org/

    https://aidaccess.org/

    These sites offer access to abortion pills, even in Texas. Please be safe and be aware of clinics (e.g. Crisis Pregnancy Centers) that give out dangerous misinformation on abortions and pregnancy.

    If you want to give money to some pro-choice charities, try here:

    https://fundtexaschoice.org/ - The Dallas-based nonprofit Fund Texas Choice assists Texas residents with lodging and transportation expenses to abortion clinics in and out of state. It also provides information on organizations that can help with funding the procedure.

    https://www.laslibres.org/ - Las Libres is a Mexican feminist organization that supports women seeking abortions and control of their own bodies; this now includes those who contact them from the United States.

    https://teafund.org - Texas Equal Access Fund provides funding to low-income people in the north, east, and Panhandle regions of Texas who can’t afford an abortion. It also offers emotional support through a confidential text line, support group, and virtual clinic companion program.

    https://janesdueprocess.org - Jane’s Due Process helps young Texans navigate parental-consent laws and confidentially access abortion and birth control. It offers Texas teens and young people free legal support, one-on-one case management, and a text line for those needing information on birth control and family-planning services without parental involvement.

    https://www.lilithfund.org - The Lilith Fund, an Austin-based nonprofit, provides direct financial assistance to Texans in central and southern regions of the state who need an abortion. It also offers an emotional-support hotline

    https://www.theafiyacenter.org - The Afiya Center, or TAC for short, is a reproductive-justice organization in North Texas that provides refuge, education, and other resources to Black women. The center has its own “economic enrichment campaign” focused on funding projects for women of color living with HIV/AIDS (and those at risk). It also supports programs that are providing abortion access in the state.

    https://thebridgecollective.org - The Bridge Collective serves central Texans by offering transportation to abortion clinics for people within 100 miles of Austin. It also provides free reproductive-health resource kits to those who are within 30 miles of Austin. The kits include Plan B, pregnancy tests, condoms, and information on sexual and reproductive health.

    https://avowtexas.org - Avow (which was previously NARAL Pro-Choice Texas) fights for abortion rights through community building, education, and political advocacy. The Avow Foundation funds research, public education, organizing, and more to educate Texans on the importance of abortion access.

    Also: 20 Organizations Fighting the Texas Abortion Ban

    Please feel free to copy and share this and to add your own links.