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In 2013, Texas legislation (overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court in 2016) required abortion clinics to meet hospital-level standards and to employ physicians with nearby admitting privileges. To examine the effects of the multiple facility closings that resulted, researchers analyzed data on abortions obtained in Texas and neighboring states in relation to geographical distance to the nearest open abortion facility in 2012 and 2014. Change in distance to the nearest facility was assessed alongside change in number of abortions obtained by residents in each county.
Texas residents obtained 66,098 abortions (97 out of state) in 2012 and 53,882 (754 out of state) in 2014 (an overall decrease of 18.5%). In 2012, a total of 41 abortion facilities…