A new statewide representative survey of reproductive-aged Texans shows that although many had heard about abortion laws passing in the state in the last two years, nearly three out of four (73%) did not know someone cannot get an abortion at a Texas clinic. Nearly a quarter (24%) of surveyed Texans incorrectly thought that a law had passed prohibiting out-of-state travel for abortion.
“These bans adversely affect people who can become pregnant, yet our results showed that many of our survey respondents had inaccurate knowledge around both the lack of abortion access in the state and the legality of out-of-state travel” said Dr. Kari White, executive and scientific director of Resound Research for Reproductive Health. “These knowledge gaps can make it more difficult for Texans to obtain abortion care when they or someone they know needs it.”
More than 8 in 10 survey respondents also did not have accurate knowledge about the exceptions to Texas’ abortion laws.
- 43% of survey respondents knew it was legal for pregnant people to get an abortion if they have a life-threatening medical condition.
- 32% incorrectly thought that abortion care is allowed in the cases of rape and incest.
- 24% falsely believed that Texas allows an abortion if the fetus will not live after birth.
“Our research shows that many Texans think abortion care is still legally available under a broader set of circumstances than it currently is,” said Dr. Samuel Dickman, a researcher at the City University of New York’s Research Foundation and the Chief Medical Officer at Planned Parenthood of Montana. “Even for the extremely narrow exceptions that are allowed, the vague language of the law and the threat of severe criminal and civil penalties has made it difficult for physicians to provide abortion care. As a result, pregnant Texans have been forced to experience dangerous–and preventable–medical complications.”
“The majority of Texas voters support access to abortion for a range of reasons,” said Dr. White. “Disseminating clear information about the specific restrictions imposed by Texas’ abortion laws and their impacts may make Texans even less supportive of policies that restrict abortion access.”
Our online survey was conducted in May and June 2023 in English and Spanish with 768 Texas residents who were part of the Ipsos KnowledgePanel. Participants were between ages 18 and 49 and assigned female at birth. Participants were recruited as a representative sample of the racial and ethnic demographics of the state, including White non-Hispanic, Hispanic, Black, and Asian women; participants also included gender-expansive Texans.
