In 2022, youth in Texas were faced with two devastating realities: the 6-week abortion ban in Texas and the overturning of Roe v. Wade. At Jane’s Due Process we sought to help Texas teens meet these challenges by focusing on what we do best – helping youth overcome barriers to reproductive healthcare.
Immediately after the Jackson Women’s Health Organization v. Dobbs decision by the U.S. Supreme Court, we made the heartbreaking decision to pause our abortion support services, including funding and travel. The Texas Attorney General and anti-abortion lawmakers have repeatedly threatened to enforce abortion laws in such a way that helping youth travel out of state could make us vulnerable to felony charges and hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines. This fall, we joined Texas abortion funds and a provider in filing a federal lawsuit (Fund Texas Choice v. Paxton) to affirm our right to help Texas teens obtain abortion care in states where it is still legal. This case is ongoing, and our greatest hope is that it will ultimately allow us to fully resume support for Texas teens traveling for abortion access. And our phone and text hotlines remain open so that we can provide information to youth who want to seek abortion care in states where it is still legal.
But despite the abortion ban currently in effect in Texas and the pause in direct services helping Texas teens travel for abortion, there’s still plenty of work for Jane’s Due Process to do.
- With abortion no longer legal in Texas, we have seen the need for birth control and emergency contraceptives skyrocket. We are rising to meet that need. We maintain a live text line staffed by volunteers that teens can contact to get information about birth control.
- We also provide emergency contraception to teens in communities with limited access to Title X family planning clinics through our free ‘repro kit’ program. Each kit contains free emergency contraceptive pills, pregnancy tests, condoms, and a zine on reproductive health.
- Our youth advocacy fellowship empowers a cohort of former Jane’s Due Process clients who have been through the judicial bypass process to become leaders in the reproductive health, rights, and justice movements. Our new cohort of fellows launched in May 2022 and are preparing to advocate for abortion & birth control access, as well as menstrual equity and LGBTQIA+ youth rights during the upcoming 2023 state legislative session.
- We continue our national advocacy to end parental involvement laws and affirm teens’ reproductive rights.
No matter what, Jane’s Due Process will never give up fighting for young people in Texas.
