The New Abortion Law in Texas & What You Should Know

On September 1st of 2021, a new law came into effect in Texas: it is a six week abortion ban. That means that after six weeks of the pregnancy in Texas, women will no longer be able to abort. This also means that if you abort after six weeks or more of pregnancy, anyone who “aids and abets” your procedure can get sued such as the clinic, the person who paid for it, or even whoever drove you to the abortion clinic.

What if I abort later than six weeks into my pregnancy in Texas? According to the article “Texas Abortion Restrictions” by Erin Douglas, anyone who contributes their money, time or skills to an abortion for someone who’s been pregnant for more than 6 weeks can get sued. This can be from a family member or a friend to a complete stranger. What will happen next is that the person suing the people who helped you will win since you are no longer allowed to abort after more than 6 weeks of pregnancy. Due to this, your friend, family member or acquaintance will have to pay the person doing the suing at least $10,000 with the cost of the attorney.

How do women know when they are pregnant? Some women don’t always know whether they are pregnant or not depending on the regularity of their periods. This means that some don’t even find out until they have been pregnant for six weeks or more, in which case they don’t find out until it’s too late. When women have regular periods, they are most likely to find out that they’re pregnant around the 5th week which doesn’t give them enough time to decide whether or not they will keep the baby.

Where to find help? In abortion clinics such as Planned Parenthood, you can find  information about what to do and staff members can help you come up with a solution. If you are six weeks or more pregnant, don’t worry. Planned Parenthood offers funds to those who need them. They can help you go to a different state to get the procedure done. They can help cover the cost of the procedure and the traveling expenses. These funds can be given to anyone but are mostly directed toward those who have low income and can’t afford to pay these fees themselves.

What does it mean not being able to abort? Not being able to abort when you have decided you don’t want to continue your pregnancy to term means that you will have to keep your baby at least until it’s born and then decide whether you want to put them up for adoption or not. According to “Texas Abortion Restrictions,” many people who don’t get to abort even though they want to can create problems such as foster homes and adoption centers getting too full. This is a problem because not all of these children are being adopted nor being well taken care of once they have been born.