How Exactly Does a Texan Get an Abortion These Days?

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It's been over a year since the Dobbs decision, the 2022 Supreme Court ruling that overturned the nationwide right to abortion. In Texas, this has resulted in a total shutdown of abortion clinics through a combination of three abortion bans. But it's still legal in Austin to receive or seek an abortion, just not to provide or assist with one. The vague language of the law means it can be difficult to figure out what these bans mean practically, but the Chronicle has a regularly updated list of abortion-related services accessible to Texans, available online. Here are some of the basics.

What Are Legal Abortion Options?

It's still legal to travel out of state for an abortion, though the nearest clinics are hundreds of miles away in Colorado and New Mexico. People seeking out-of-state abortions can get financial assistance for their travel through abortion funds, listed in our resource guide. If traveling isn't an option, Texans can get abortion medication through the mail from certain online pharmacies in countries where abortion pills are available over the counter (also listed in our guide). Meanwhile, organizations such as Aid Access allow patients to get abortion pill prescriptions from out-of-country doctors.

Birth Control Is Expensive and a Pain to Get. What Do I Do?

Contraceptives including Plan B are still legal. Students at UT-Austin can access reproductive health care services through University Health Services. Apps like Nurx and Hers will allow you to get birth control and some other prescriptions delivered to you. (Nurx is free with insurance or $15 per month. Hers starts at $12 per month.) Planned Parenthood also provides affordable birth control.

What if My Friend Needs Help With an Abortion?

Assisting in an abortion is illegal in Texas, but your right to free speech is still at play. That means you should be able to safely direct friends to abortion-related information, including resource guides such as the Chronicle's. And the nonprofit Digital Defense Fund offers detailed recommendations for private abortion-related searches and communication, including encrypted messaging services Signal and Wire.

What if Someone Needs an Emergency Abortion? Where Does the Law Stand?

Under federal law, emergency rooms are required to provide you with stabilizing care whether or not you can pay for it, and that's true for pregnancy-related emergencies. Texas law states that an abortion is legal when the life of the pregnant person is in danger – but the law is so vague and threatens doctors with such serious penalties that they have been hesitant to provide abortions in some dangerous situations.

This concern is at the heart of Zurawski v. State of Texas, a lawsuit brought by the Center for Reproductive Rights seeking to protect access to medically necessary abortions. The lead plaintiff, Amanda Zurawski, developed sepsis after she experienced pregnancy complications and doctors refused to give her an abortion. She was forced to deliver a deceased child, spent three days in the ICU, and experienced reproductive damage that rendered her infertile. The case is still in progress; Judge Jessica Mangrum of Austin blocked Texas' abortion bans in cases of medical emergency on Aug. 4, but hours later, her ruling was blocked by an appeal filed by the Texas Attorney General's Office. The case is scheduled for a trial beginning March 25, and the Chronicle will cover it.