The Texas "trigger law".
Roe v. Wade was overturned on June 24, 2022, by the Supreme Court. This decision eliminated the federal constitutional right to abortion, effectively leaving the legality of abortion up to individual states. In 2022, a “trigger law” went into effect in Texas after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. This law made abortion illegal in almost all cases in the state.
What are we seeing now at our clinics?
“Essentially, our work has not changed, but it has become a bit more difficult for us to reach women to make decisions for life” according to Thrive Executive Director, Lisa Freeman. “Where time was once a benefit, now it is not. Women come to us much more determined to make a plan and follow through without time to process their situation and make a more thoughtful decision. Many continue to seek abortions out of state; 4,700 in the last half of year 2022 (the most recent stat we have) and even more – over half – obtain abortions in their own homes now through medication, or chemical abortions. As you can imagine, this unsupervised process brings about new levels of complexity and trauma that are unforeseen by women who are told this is a quick, simple process that will take care of their problem forever. Our post-abortive clients share a different view when they talk about their regret and tell us they don’t want to go through that again.
So in Texas, although the law has changed – nothing else really has. One in three pregnancies are still unplanned and women and families still need our help and hope for themselves and their babies. In Texas, there are 325 organizations like Thrive who offer this help – 325. That’s small potatoes compared to the far reach of Planned Parenthood that still works hard in our state to secure abortions for women – and their $670 million government-funded budget to reach women before Thrive or any other pro-life center does.”
How has TWC changed since the Texas trigger law took effect?
In 2022 — following the reversal of Roe v. Wade, elective abortion became illegal in Texas (only being permitted if medically necessary to preserve the life of the mother). Chemical abortions now make lup more than half of all the abortions committed in the U.S. and that number continues to grow with many Texas women obtaining abortion pills from other states and countries. “The methodology is simple: the abortion pill blocks the production of the natural hormone progesterone, which is necessary to support the blood supply to the baby in the uterus. That blood gives the baby the oxygen and nutrition it needs to grow. By inhibiting the production of progesterone, RU486 essentially starves and suffocates the baby. But by giving patients progesterone, doctors can often undo the effects of the abortion pill, and keep oxygen and nutrients flowing to the baby, saving its life.” – Florida, Dr. William Lile
Statistics show over 4,000 lives have been saved through abortion pill reversal, known as APR. Thrive now offers the reversal pill at our Greenville Avenue clinic and is bringing awareness to our abortion-determined clients about this process to offer them a last chance to reverse a medical abortion that is no longer desired.
A healing impact!
Jess came to Thrive with a plan — get the pregnancy confirmation, go home, and take the abortion pills she had already ordered online. She was determined. But after talking with her Thrive nurse, Gina, something shifted. Gina gently reminded her, “If you change your mind, we can help you with the Abortion Pill Reversal (APR).” Jess didn’t think she’d need it, but she left with that in the back of her mind.
Days later, in a panic, Jess called Gina. She had taken the first abortion pill and immediately regretted it. Gina calmly said, “Come in right now. We can help.” Jess showed up, in tears, concerned about the action she had taken to terminate her pregnancy. Gina walked her through the Abortion Pill Reversal (APR) process, giving her a second chance to save her pregnancy, and starting the process immediately.
But Jess’s story wasn’t just about the physical reversal. She was battling depression after losing a loved one and didn’t feel capable of caring for a child. Through Thrive, she found counseling and began to heal emotionally. By her next appointment, Jess shared that she had started therapy, was feeling stronger, and knew she wanted to parent her baby. With Thrive’s help, Jess’s pregnancy progressed normally and she gave birth to a healthy baby boy in early 2025.