From the cover
Following decade of decline, fertility rates rise in Harris County
The breakdown
Harris County fertility rates
Births per 1,000 women, ages 15-44
Overall
Hispanic
Teens
Harris County’s fertility rate increased 2.88% in 2022. Gregory said women with limited access to contraception and out-of-state travel for abortion services have been impacted most. The age group with the highest fertility rate increase was 40-44 at 8.91%. “It often comes down to finances—’I can’t afford a child’ or ‘I can’t afford another child.’ … Half of our [clients] already have children,” said Nanda Kirkpatrick, executive director of Care Net Pregnancy Center, which has a location in the Champions area. Most Care Net clients are low-wage earners and may not be able to afford child care, she said. In addition to confirming pregnancies and counseling individuals through their decision-making process, the organization connects clients to Medicaid application assistance, employment resources, education and baby supplies. Two-thirds of Care Net clients have either already decided they want an abortion or they’re not sure what they want to do, Kirkpatrick said. “Maybe they don’t have support from [the] baby’s father; maybe they don’t have support from mom and dad; maybe they’re in school or unemployed, or have some health issues—you know, just complicated life circumstances,” she said.
100
September 2021 : Texas law banning abortions beyond six weeks of pregnancy goes into effect.
80.47
72.4
80
60
72.32
63.65
40
20
31.61
20.31
0
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
2016
2017
Harris County fertility rate changes Harris County saw a decline in fertility rates from 2015 until 2022, when data began showing the effects of recent law changes. Texas banned abortions beyond six weeks of pregnancy in September 2021 and fully banned abortion in 2022.
Overall, 2016-21: -14.4%
Overall, 2021-22: +2.9%
Hispanic, 2021-22: +5.8%
Teens, 2021-22: +1.7%
SOURCES: CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION; THE UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON’S INSTITUTE FOR RESEARCH ON WOMEN, GENDER & SEXUALITY/COMMUNITY IMPACT
Some context
led to an additional 9,800 births statewide from April-December 2022. About a year after the state law passed, the U.S. Supreme Court issued its Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization ruling, which led to Texas fully banning abortion as of August 2022 unless the mother’s life is at risk. The Dobbs case overturned the 1973 Roe v. Wade case that ruled abortion was a fundamental right. The UH report indicates 20 additional states have passed abortion bans since, including neighbor- ing states Louisiana, Arkansas and Oklahoma. New Mexico is Texas’ only border state without abortion restrictions. Despite it being illegal in Texas, Kirkpatrick said the abortion pill is easily accessible online, and many women travel to other states where abortion is still legal. Care Net also employs medical profes- sionals who educate women about their options. “With abortion being illegal, … girls don’t have a medical professional to talk to,” Kirkpatrick said. “They’re not being told about risks and complica- tions of taking the abortion pill.”
Leading up to 2022, Harris County saw a steady decline in fertility rates starting in 2015. Teen fertility rates dropped about 67% nationally since 2007. Gregory attributed this to economic factors and increased access to contraception. The Texas Legislature banned abortion after six weeks of pregnancy in 2021 through Senate Bill 8. Community Impact previously reported the bill included a medical emergency exception but offered no exception to victims of rape, sexual assault or incest. “All of us are united by the truth that our creator endowed us with the right to life,” Gov. Greg Abbott said at a January 2023 Texas Rally for Life event in Austin. “With your help, we made transformational changes in Texas law [during the 87th Texas Legislature]—life-saving changes. We promised we would protect the life of every child with a heartbeat, and we did. … All of you are lifesavers, and thousands of newborn babies are the result of your heroic efforts.” A report from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health estimated this policy
Abortions in Texas
-66.1%
-99.8%
2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023
The state of the issue No abortion restrictions Abortion is illegal except in medical emergencies
New Mexico
Oklahoma
Arkansas
Houston
Texas
Louisiana
SOURCES: TEXAS HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES COMMISSION; THE UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON’S INSTITUTE FOR RESEARCH ON WOMEN, GENDER & SEXUALITY/COMMUNITY IMPACT
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