Restrictions on access to reproductive health care have been on the rise in the U.S. While many of these restrictions claim to target abortion, they have far reaching consequences that affect reproductive health care more broadly. These laws stem from the 1992 Supreme Court Case, Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pa. v. Casey, reinforced that individuals have the right to abortion, but which also created the “undue burden” standard. The “undue burden” standard allowed for states to create restrictions on abortion, as long as they did not create an “undue burden”, or hardship, on those seeking or providing abortions. The state of Texas has used the undue burden standard to increasingly restrict access to abortion and reproductive health care. In 2010 and 2011, the Texas removed Planned Parenthood from its list of state affiliated Medicaid care providers, and cut its family planning budget from $111 million to $37.9 million, respectively (White et al., 2012). This led to the closure of reproductive health service clinics, leaving many individuals, particularly those in rural and isolated areas, without local access to reproductive …show more content…
Hellerstedt, which was ultimately deemed unconstitutional by the Supreme Court. HB 2 created several restrictions on abortion and abortion Texas, requiring that abortion providers have admitting privileges in a nearby hospital, requiring that abortion clinics meet ambulatory surgical center standards, prohibiting abortion after 20 weeks except in cases of rape, possible death, and severe fetal deformity, and changing the ways in which medical abortion was provided (Texas Legislature 2013). Clinics and providers that did not meet the standards set by HB 2 closed down, again leaving areas not only without reproductive health care clinics, but without abortion clinics as well (Pruitt and Vanegas, 2015; Gertds et al.