Dallas: Difference between revisions

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'''OVERVIEW'''  

As a major American city, Dallas has an incredible range of medical facilities and providers. Due to federal regulations, contraception is legal, though a prescription is required. Emergency contraception is also legal and no prescription is required; it can be purchased at pharmacies, drug stores and many clinics. However, there have been reported cases of pharmacists refusing to sell emergency contraception due to personal religious or moral beliefs. In general, Texas as a state is largely conservative with a strong religious Christian base. This heavily impacts the political and social climate of the state, and in particular abortion law. While abortion is legal in Texas, as it was ruled to be a legal right in Roe v. Wade (1973), abortion has been consistently challenged in Texas. There have been many laws passed since 2013 that have limited the ability of abortion clinics to operate as well as the ability of women to obtain abortions. Some of these provisions, most notably HB 2, have been challenged and struck down by the United States Supreme Court. But many other restrictions remain in place, creating frustrating circumstances for women. Overall, Dallas is a huge city and Texas is a huge state. This means that, while there are certainly restrictions that impose great difficulty, there are also a wealth of resources that can be sought after.

'''General Note:''' There are many types of contraceptives, also known as "birth control," including IUDs, oral contraceptives, patches, shots, and condoms, etc. If you would like to view a full list, click [https://www.plannedparenthood.org/learn/birth-control here].

===Laws & Social Stigmas===

In Texas, contraception is generally legal but restrictions apply. You need a prescription to obtain birth control. Furthermore, if you are under 18 years old, you typically need permission from your parents. In fact, Texas is one of only two US states that does not allow state funds to be used for contraceptive use without parental consent.<ref>[http://www.contracept.org/articles/contraception/texas-birth-control-laws-for-teens Texas Birth Control Laws for Teens]</ref>

If you cannot get permission from your parents, you can confidentially get birth control from Title X clinics (see section below where you can find them in Dallas). Note that Title X clinics are available to all people, regardless of their age or if they have parental consent, and they may even be able to give you birth control at a reduced cost or no cost at all depending on your financial situation. Also, if you're on Medicaid, you can get birth control at Texas clinics that accept Medicaid (even if you're under 18 and with no parental consent required).<ref>[http://janesdueprocess.org/title-x-clinics/ Jane's Due Process: Where Can I Get Birth Control?]</ref>

As reported by the Houston Chronicle, "In Texas, limits on abortion get the big headlines. But access to effective birth control has been weakened in the crossfire. When lawmakers kicked Planned Parenthood out of the state's Women's Health Program in 2013, they assured Texans that women would find providers elsewhere for family planning. This week, a University of Texas study published in the New England Journal of Medicine produced strong evidence that Texas has failed to fill the void. In counties affected by the Planned Parenthood exclusion, claims for long-acting contraceptives dropped by more than 35 percent, and requests for injectable contraceptives dropped 31 percent. Meanwhile, Medicaid-paid births spiked among women who previously had used injectable methods."<ref>[http://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/columnists/falkenberg/article/The-numbers-don-t-lie-Texans-need-access-to-6812535.php The numbers don't lie: Texans need access to birth control]</ref>

===Costs===

'''Important Notes:''' Emergency contraception may prevent pregnancy for three days (72 hours) and sometimes five days (120 hours) after unprotected sex. Take EC '''as soon as possible''' after unprotected sex. If you don't have access to dedicated EC, oral contraceptives can be used as replacement EC, but remember the following: 1) Only some contraceptives work as EC 2) Different contraceptives require different dosages and time schedules to work as EC 3) You must only use the first 21 pills in 28-day packs and 4) They may be less effective than dedicated EC. For general information on emergency contraceptives, click [https://www.plannedparenthood.org/learn/morning-after-pill-emergency-contraception here] and [http://ec.princeton.edu/info/ecp.html here].

===What to Get & Where to Get It===

===Costs===

===Laws & Social Stigmas===

===What to Get & Where to Get It===

===Laws & Social Stigmas===

Since 1973, abortion has been legal in the United States under the Roe vs. Wade Supreme Court decision. Yet in Texas, abortion has been consistently challenged, where additional restrictions have been placed on clinics, health care providers and women seeking abortions.  

One of the most controversial laws came in 2013, when Texas Governor Rick Perry signed House Bill 2 (known as "HB 2"), an anti-abortion bill. According to this law, "Abortion doctors must have admitting privileges at a hospital within 30 miles of the abortion clinic."<ref>[http://fundtexaschoice.org/what-is-hb2/ What is HB2?]</ref> Furthermore, abortion clinics must align by standards meant for ambulatory surgical centers, which have strict regulations on buildings, equipment and staff. Because nearly all abortion doctors have no admitting privileges to such hospitals in Texas, and because the hospitals have no incentives to provide such access, this forced many clinics to close down. Furthermore, because most abortion clinics don't have the funding or resources to abide by ambulatory standards, this also forced abortion clinics to close down. In the years following HB 2, Texas went from having 40 abortion clinics to only 19.<ref>[https://www.texastribune.org/2016/06/28/texas-abortion-clinics-have-closed-hb2-passed-2013/ Texas Abortion Clinics That Have Closed Since 2013]</ref> This lead to a situation in which many Texas women did not have access to abortion clinics in their areas, and they were forced to travel very long distances, oftentimes out of state, to obtain abortions.  

Yet, other restrictions in Texas remain in place, particularly those passed in December 2015. Under these new restrictions, a woman must receive an ultrasound before obtaining an abortion. The health care provider must show and describe the ultrasound image to the woman. The ultrasound must be obtained at least 24 hours before an abortion, which imposes difficulties on women who do not live close to abortion providers. Furthermore, a woman must receive counseling before obtaining an abortion. During counseling, the woman will be discouraged from getting an abortion. Following counseling, she must wait at least 24 hours before receiving an abortion. Furthermore, minors must receive parental consent if they wish to obtain an abortion. The use of telemedicine for the performance of a medical abortion is prohibited.

* [http://www.myresourcecenter.org/ Resource Center]: "Resource Center is dedicated to helping you stay healthy. Through our health and wellness programs the Center provides culturally sensitive, LGBT-friendly services including low-cost mental health counseling, vaccinations, lab work, transgender health and HIV services." AddressL 5750 Cedar Springs Rd., Dallas, TX  75235, Phone: 214-521-5124, Email: info@myresourcecenter.org . Fax: 214-522-4604

==References==

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