Can You Get In Trouble In Texas If You Travel To Another State For An Abortion?

This is a complicated question - mostly because of timing. As of right now, July 2022, my answer to you would be no. There’s no trouble for you if you travel to another state for an abortion.

But there could be consequences for anyone who helped you travel out of Texas to get an abortion.  

This all ties in to SB8, which is commonly called the Heartbeat Act. The Act states that anyone who helps someone else get an abortion could be held civilly liable. The specific language states:  

“Any person … may bring a civil action against any person who: knowingly engages in conduct that aids or abets the performance or inducement of an abortion”

 It’s important to note that under this act, this is a civil issue, which means that anyone who “aids or abets” can be sued, but not arrested.

But I need to come back to the timing issue. SB8 has faced a number of legal challenges (although it’s in effect as of the time I’m writing this), and now that the United States Supreme Court has overturned Roe v. Wade with its decision in the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization case, things may change in Texas, as well as in other states.

So what does this mean for someone in Texas who might be pregnant when they don’t want to be? I have to tell you that the advice that I’m going to give makes me really uncomfortable, but given what’s happening, it’s the best I’ve got.

If you’re a person who could get pregnant, meaning you’ve got all the required body parts, delate any period tracking  app you have on your digital devices.

If you think you might be pregnant, don’t say anything to anyone. If you decide to search for what your options  might be, do it in incognito/private mode or use a search engine like DuckDuckGo.

I hate saying all of this. I hate saying that when you’re confused and maybe scared, that you should not reach out to your friends for help.

In an ideal world, when we get medical information that is upsetting or concerning, information that requires a decision, that of course we should turn to those we trust to ask for help and support.

But Texas is not an ideal world for women right now, and I think it’s only going to get worse.

With the changing legal landscape in Texas and other states, I have two resources I want to recommend, The first is the Abortion in the U.S. Dashboard by the Kaiser Family Foundation. Its an interactive site that lets you see the legal status of abortion by state.

The other resource is Plan C. It’s a site that gives you information on how to access a medical abortion, and gives specific information based on your state. If you’re not sure what Plan C is, check out my post What is Plan C?

Until next time, be safe!

Have a question you want answered? Submit it here: https://milsteinhealthconsulting.com/heydrsue

 A quick thanks to Michael Lopez and Bradley Tobin for helping me sort through the legal issues on this one.