A year later Strict ban on abortion takes effect in TexasNearly 10,000 more births occurred in the state. A new study has been published detailing this startling statistic. Published June 29 in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).
[Related: Banning the abortion pill would harm veterans, cancer patients, and many others.]
Republican Governor Greg Abbott Signs Texas State Bill 8 (SB8) By 2021, abortion will be banned after the sixth week of pregnancy, before many women know they are pregnant. It also allows civilians to sue those who perform abortions or assist pregnant women with abortions. The ruling came into effect about 10 months before the Supreme Court’s June 2022 ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Medical Institute, which effectively overturned Roe v. Wade. The decision stripped federal rights to abortion, demonstrated anti-scientific views and lies, and violated U.S. medical standards.
“There is a lot of speculation about how restrictive abortion policies affect the number of babies born. This study adds valuable information to that debate,” said co-author of the study. Alison Gemmill, Assistant Professor at Johns Hopkins University, says said in a statement. “While our study did not elaborate on why these extra births occurred, our findings suggest that a significant number of pregnant women in Texas are experiencing a significant increase in access to abortion. It strongly suggests that the barrier was not overcome.”
in the studyA team from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health examined available birth records in all 50 states and Washington, D.C. between 2016 and 2022. The data in the years leading up to SB8 established a version of what Lone Star State’s fertility trends would be. It probably looked the same as it would have been without the statute of limitations, compared to the number of births actually reported.
The total number of births from April to December 2022, the first month for the law to take effect, was about 297,000. This is about 3% more than the expected 287,000 births without SB8, or a difference of 9,799 births.
The authors caution that these results cannot be generalized to other states such as: North Dakota, Arkansas, West Virginia These areas also have restrictive abortion laws, as the analysis was limited to Texas only. The study’s team also hopes to explore what disproportionate effects SB8 may have had on certain demographic groups when detailed birth data become available in the coming months. I plan to investigate.
[Related: Minnesota just became the first post-Roe state to make abortion a right.]
“The findings highlight how abortion bans are having a real impact on people giving birth,” said study co-author Suzanne Bell, an associate professor at Johns Hopkins University. “She may have had no choice but to continue her unwanted or unsafe pregnancy until the end of her term.” said in a statement. “Remarkably, the majority of people seeking abortions live below or near the poverty line. It is probable that he did.”
a 2022 research will also be published in JAMA In the months since SB8 went into effect, we found a 38% drop in abortions in or around Texas. These laws also hinder access to medicines for ulcers, arthritis and cancer.
moreover, Trigger Act Takes Effect in Texas in August 2022 In response to Dobbs’ decision. It banned abortion at almost all levels and made it a felony punishable by up to life imprisonment. The only exception to this law is to save the life of a pregnant person.
Alongside these restrictive laws, inadequate policies regarding child care and paid family leave have created additional challenges for many across the country, and have not changed since Roe v. Wade.
Beth Jarosh, a demographer and program director at the nonprofit Population, said, “With the provision of stimulus packages and the termination of some social network programs during the pandemic, people are finding it difficult to properly care for their children. Fertility rates may decline because they feel they lack resources.”Reference stations not involved in the study told CNN. “Will the fertility rate fall faster because of it, or will it rise faster because access to abortion is more restricted? The impact is anyone’s guess.”