Accessibilty after HB2: Mapping the Impact of Disappearing Reproductive Care in TX

04 Oct 2014

The TX legislature has gotten its way. Operating restrictions imposed by HB2, which took effect yesterday, have led to the shuttering of all but seven abortion providers in Texas. As you can explore in the interactive map above, millions of Texas women now live hundreds of miles from the nearest clinic. You can thank future Texas governor Greg Abbott for his ceaseless efforts to defend his version of “traditional values”.

Among the most disconcerting aspects of HB2 taking effect is that it establishes an utter absence of reproductive care in rural Texas. The ramifications are particularly alarming in the Rio Grande Valley, where residents don’t have the option of seeking care in a neighboring state. But the bill also hits home here in Austin; the city now has just one abortion provider.

Conservatives have authored this legislation out of a completely fictitious (or delusional, which is more disturbing?) concern for women’s health. Abortion remains one of the safest medical procedures, while more than 800 Texans murder each-other with guns on annual basis.

Tell ‘em how you feel.

Thanks to Kolten Parker for posting the data! Other sources: US Census Bureau; D3.js; Map Shaper