After The Supreme Court Overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022, States like Texas can now Outlaw Abortion
Texas is one of the many states with a “trigger” law in place, meaning if and when the Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade (which it did on June 24, 2022, after seeing the case “Dobbs v. Jackson”), an abortion ban goes into place. Texas’s new trigger law makes performing an abortion a criminal offense unless the pregnancy poses a risk to the pregnant woman’s life. The new law has no exception for rape, incest, or gestational date abortions are acceptable until.
On August 25, 2022, the new laws took effect, and all abortions are illegal in Texas beginning at conception unless the mother’s life is at risk. This abortion ban in Texas creates limited abortion access for pregnant women in the state. Since there are only rare circumstances when an abortion provider can perform an abortion in the state due to the new Texas law, many abortion clinics had to close their doors, leaving women in Texas to seek other options. One way women get around the state’s restrictive abortion laws is by receiving medication for abortions in the mail. Some online providers discretely mail Texans Mifeprex and Misoprostol, which, when used together, can terminate a pregnancy up to eleven weeks of gestation. Unfortunately, Texas law also prohibits receiving this medication in the mail. In addition, monitoring the mail received by Texas residents would be difficult and timely. So it is unlikely for the state’s government to enforce this aspect of the abortion ban, but this law makes receiving an abortion in Texas even more difficult. Now, women seeking an abortion will have to travel out of state to access abortions.
Abortion Access In States Near Texas
There are still solutions for people in Texas to access the abortion care they need, but they must travel for an out-of-state abortion. Many states near Texas do not have restrictions on abortion. For example, in New Mexico and Nevada, women can still access abortion care. In other states like Arizona, there are some restrictions on abortion, but for the most part, abortion care in Arizona remains accessible. Arizona’s abortion laws permit abortion until viability, which means you may receive an abortion until 24 to 26 weeks. Viability means the fetus would be able to survive outside of the womb. However, Arizona abortion rights may be restricted on September 24, 2022. If the law does go into effect, women will only be able to get an abortion up to 15 weeks of pregnancy. Nevada’s and New Mexico’s abortion laws have remained unchanged since the Supreme Court ruling and may be more convenient when seeking an abortion. Suppose you are looking for more information about how abortion laws vary by state in the U.S. In that case, you can visit the website abortionfinder.org and click on the State-By-State Guide and find helpful and valuable information about abortion laws in the country and where abortion is prohibited.
Nevada’s Abortion Laws and Restrictions on Abortion
In Nevada, two major cities, Las Vegas and Reno have a surplus of hotels and accommodations, making accessing abortions simple. According to Nevada state laws, there is no waiting period to get an abortion. Additionally, if someone under the age of 18 years old is looking to terminate their pregnancy in Nevada, parental involvement is not required. Nevada law bans abortion after 25 weeks and six days of pregnancy. Women traveling to Nevada for an abortion can receive an abortion for a little over six months of gestation. If the pregnancy threatens the woman’s life or general health, including the woman’s mental state, they may have an abortion past 25 weeks and six days. In Nevada, there are many reproductive health clinics that offer abortions.
Here at Birth Control Care Center, we provide abortion options for pregnancy’s first and second trimesters.
Women seeking an abortion during their first eleven weeks of pregnancy can choose between the medical abortion or surgical abortion method.
Most abortions can be completed in one office visit for up to fourteen weeks.
Women seeking an abortion after eleven weeks of pregnancy can have a surgical abortion. For pregnancies past 20 weeks, the abortion is typically a three-step procedure.
A surgical abortion is an in-office procedure where patients have a tube inserted into their uterus that uses suction to remove the pregnancy and pregnancy tissue. If the pregnancy is past fourteen weeks, the cervix must be dilated the day prior to the surgery to ensure a more comfortable and safe procedure for the patient. You can access our webpage about our surgical abortion services here.
When traveling from Texas to receive surgical abortion care in Nevada, it is important to understand how far along your pregnancy is and plan your stay accordingly. If you plan to get an abortion past fourteen weeks of pregnancy, you will have to have multiple office visits to complete the procedure, so you must book your hotel for multiple nights.
A medical abortion is an in-office and at-home procedure. For a medical abortion, patients are given a pill in the office called Mifepristone. After taking the medication, patients are sent home with four pills called Misoprostol within 24 to 48 hours after taking the Mifepristone. When it is time to take the four pills, you leave them in your mouth until they are fully dissolved, and the termination of the pregnancy will begin within a few minutes to a few hours after taking the pills.
When traveling from Texas for a medical abortion in Nevada, it is important to ensure you are not past eleven weeks into the pregnancy because medical abortions can only be performed before eleven weeks. Additionally, we schedule a follow-up appointment for our patients within two to three weeks of the abortion to ensure the termination was successful. Therefore, please be sure to make proper accommodations for your trip.
Due to the Texas abortion restrictions, it makes it difficult for Texans to get abortions. Here at Birth Control Care Center, we strive to make abortion in the United States accessible for all women. Please give us a call or text message with any questions you may have about your procedure.