AUSTIN (KXAN) — The number of Texans seeking an abortion out of state more than quadrupled between 2021 and 2023, after a state law went into effect that bans the procedure in almost all cases.
Data from the Texas Health and Human Services Commission shows at least 7,844 Texas residents received an abortion in a different state in 2023, up from 4,718 in 2022 and 1,712 in 2021. Still, the total number of abortions for Texas residents dropped by 85% compared to 2021.
In 2023, just 62 abortions were reported in Texas, all due to medical emergency and/or to preserve the health of the mother. Between January and April 2024, 32 abortions were performed in the state, according to the HHSC data.
Texas receives reports from other states through the State and Territorial Exchange of Vital Events, a public health reporting system maintained by the National Association for Public Health Statistics and Information Systems.
Reporting abortion data to the system is voluntary, and not all states participate, according to a HHSC spokesperson. That means the total number may be higher than the 7,844 reported in 2023.