Change in distance to nearest facility and abortion in Texas, 2012 to 2014
Grossman D, White K, Hopkins K, Potter JE. Change in distance to nearest facility and abortion in Texas, 2012 to 2014. Journal of the American Medical Association. 2017 Jan 24;317(4):437-439
Texas House Bill 2, enacted in 2013, was one of the most restrictive abortion laws in the country before the US Supreme Court ruled in June 2016 that 2 provisions were unconstitutional.
Following introduction and passage of the bill, the number of Texas facilities providing abortions declined,1 from 41 in 2012 to 17 in June 2016. Women whose nearest clinic closed traveled farther to access abortion services than those whose nearest clinic remained open.2 Overall, abortions declined 14% in Texas between 2013 and 2014.3
We hypothesized that the decline in abortions would be greater as the change in distance to the nearest open facility increased.