Impact of Clinic Closures on Women Obtaining Abortion Services After Implementation of a Restrictive Law in Texas

Bibliographic Data

ID11023972
AuthorsCaitlin Gerdts (0000-0002-2488-5072, West Health), Liza Fuentes (0000-0003-2990-6933, West Health), Daniel Grossman (0000-0002-6878-6201, West Health), Kari White (0000-0001-6463-8626, West Health), Brianna Keefe-Oates (0000-0002-2704-1289, West Health), Sarah E Baum (0000-0002-5805-1084, West Health), Kristine Hopkins (0000-0001-6277-7833, West Health), Chandler Stolp (West Health), C W Stolp, J E Potter (0000-0002-8960-813X, West Health)
Year2022
Volume112
Issue9
Pages1297-1304
Publication date2022-09-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueAmerican Journal of Public Health (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0090-0036 • E-ISSN: 1541-0048
PublisherAmerican Public Health Association (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.2105/ajph.2016.303134
PMID26985603
OpenAlexW2298020514
LanguageEN
Citations received57
References cited19

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the additional burdens experienced by Texas abortion patients whose nearest in-state clinic was one of more than half of facilities providing abortion that had closed after the introduction of House Bill 2 in 2013. METHODS: In mid-2014, we surveyed Texas-resident women seeking abortions in 10 Texas facilities (n = 398), including both Planned Parenthood-affiliated clinics and independent providers that performed more than 1500 abortions in 2013 and provided procedures up to a gestational age of at least 14 weeks from last menstrual period. We compared indicators of burden for women whose nearest clinic in 2013 closed and those whose nearest clinic remained open. RESULTS: For women whose nearest clinic closed (38%), the mean one-way distance traveled was 85 miles, compared with 22 miles for women whose nearest clinic remained open (P ≤ .001). After adjustment, more women whose nearest clinic closed traveled more than 50 miles (44% vs 10%), had out-of-pocket expenses greater than $100 (32% vs 20%), had a frustrated demand for medication abortion (37% vs 22%), and reported that it was somewhat or very hard to get to the clinic (36% vs 18%; P < .05). CONCLUSIONS: Clinic closures after House Bill 2 resulted in significant burdens for women able to obtain care

Abortion · Environmental health · Family medicine · Family planning · Population · Pregnancy · Research methodology · Demography · Maternal and fetal healthcare · Medicine · Reproductive Health and Contraception · Reproductive System and Pregnancy