Abortion Return Rates and Wait Times Before and After Texas' Executive Order Banning Abortion During COVID-19

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Reproductive Health
• Health Policy

Background:

• Texas issued an executive order in March 2020 postponing non-urgent medical procedures.
• This order impacted abortion care access during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Understanding the order's effects on abortion access is crucial for reproductive health policy.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the impact of the Texas executive order on abortion care access.
• To examine associations between the order and patient return rates for abortion.
• To analyze differences in wait times between ultrasound and abortion visits.

Main Methods:

• Utilized individual-level patient records from 13 Texas abortion facilities.
• Compared data from matched periods in 2019 and 2020.
• Analyzed return rates post-ultrasound and median wait times.

Main Results:

• Patients were less likely to return for abortion care during the executive order period (82.8% vs. 90.4%).
• Patients over 10 weeks gestation faced higher odds of not returning or experiencing longer wait times.
• The adjusted odds ratio for not returning was 2.06 (95% CI: 1.12, 3.81).

Conclusions:

• The Texas executive order significantly disrupted abortion care access.
• The order disproportionately affected patients beyond 10 weeks gestation.
• Policy interventions during public health crises can negatively impact reproductive healthcare access.