The 6-Week Abortion Ban In Texas Drove Up Teen Birth Rates

Houston Chronicle: Texas’ Teen Birth Rate Sees First Rise In 15 Years Amid Abortion Ban
Teen fertility rates in Texas increased for the first time in 15 years in 2022, the year after the state implemented a six-week abortion ban, according to a report published Friday from the University of Houston’s Institute for Research on Women, Gender & Sexuality. The state’s overall fertility rate, or births per 1,000 women aged 15-44, also rose in 2022 for the first time since 2014, with the sharpest increase among Hispanic women, the report said. (Gill, 1/22)

More abortion news from across the U.S. —

Bangor Daily News: Maine Democrats Pick Uphill Fight To Enshrine Abortion Rights In Constitution
Abortion took the spotlight once again Monday at the State House, as a proposal to enshrine the right to “reproductive autonomy” in the Maine Constitution got a hearing on the would-be 51st anniversary of Roe v. Wade. But the Democrat-led resolution will fail unless a few Republicans back it, since proposed constitutional amendments require approval from two-thirds of each chamber to reach the November ballot. Democrats control the House, Senate and governor’s office but still need several members of the minority party to push it through the House of Representatives. (Kobin, 1/22)

CBS News: Minnesota's Equal Rights Amendment To Be Updated To Include Protections For "Reproductive Freedom"
An update to Minnesota's equal rights amendment, which would add language to the state constitution if approved by voters, will include provisions aimed at protecting access to abortion when advocates push for it this year. The new version reads as follows: "All persons shall be guaranteed equal rights under the laws of this state. The state shall not discriminate against any person in intent or effect on account of race, color, national origin, ancestry, disability or sex, including but not limited to, pregnancy, pregnancy outcomes, and reproductive freedom, gender identity and gender expression, or sexual orientation." (Cummings, 1/22)

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Wisconsin Abortion Bill Author Defends Leaving Out Rape And Incest
A proposal seeking to ban abortion 14 weeks after "probable fertilization" does not include exceptions for cases of rape or incest because "a 14-week timeframe is a long enough timeframe to make a decision," a bill co-author told lawmakers on Monday. Lawmakers on the Assembly Committee on Health, Aging and Long-Term Care heard testimony on a bill introduced Friday that would ban abortion after 14 weeks of pregnancy except in situations where the mother's life or health would be endangered without the procedure — a measure that would reduce the timeframe for legal abortions in Wisconsin by six weeks. (Opoien, 1/22)

Stat: Abortion Funds See High Demand, Low Donations, Uncertain Future
The head of the Abortion Fund of Ohio had a sinking feeling as she looked at its end-of-year finances last month. The fund had paid out $1.5 million in 2023 to help close to 4,400 patients get abortions — up from 1,175 the year before — and the pace wasn’t sustainable. If the fund didn’t take a pause for a few weeks, she feared it would run out of money and have to close for good. (Goldhill, 1/23)

NPR: In Washington State, Pharmacists May Soon Prescribe And Dispense Mifepristone
Over the past several months, a handful of community pharmacies in states where abortion remains legal have begun to take advantage of a new rule that allows them to fill prescriptions for the abortion pill mifepristone. Prior to the rule change, which was finalized last January by the Food and Drug Administration, pregnant people had to get the drug directly from their doctor or by mail if using telemedicine, depending on the laws in their state. Reproductive health experts have said relaxing that requirement could help ease the growing burden on abortion clinics in states where abortion is legal. (Adams, 1/22)