Abortion clinics may be a thing of the past for the Lubbock area, but the issue is still alive. With House Bill 2 in full swing, women are struggling trying to obtain reproductive services; the women in this area are no exception.

The restrictions implemented by HB2 has closed the majority of abortion clinics in Texas, including Planned Parenthood of Lubbock. Women in this region who are in search of these services are making five-hour trips to the nearest provider.

Administrative nurse, Gloria Martinez, said Hilltop Women’s Reproductive Clinic in El Paso, Texas, was referring patients to its New Mexico clinic while its abortion services were on hold and women are suffering at the hands of lawmakers. As El Paso’s sole abortion provider, the clinic is back in service after the U.S. Supreme Court intervened in the closures by placing HB2’s provisions on hold.

“They’re being denied rights previously granted to them by the federal government,” Martinez said, “and our community is fortunate to have the women’s reproductive clinic in Santa Teresa — which is only seven miles from El Paso — whereas many other communities aren’t as fortunate.”

She said the staff includes board certified doctors who do not perform abortions past 15 weeks. While that option is available, she said, the decisions that have been made regarding this topic are a major infringement on women’s rights.

“I say this is intervening in something that is very personal. Our constitution has given us the right to make these personal decisions, and when it comes to women,” she said, “I feel like this is nothing the federal government should intervene in because they are stepping in and taking away our rights. Like I said, many women do this for different reasons, and what this decision is going to do for women is make them feel like second-class citizens.”

She said the need for this procedure is often personal for these people as they have even dealt with cases involving rape. She said regardless of their beliefs, they are strongly against women using this as a method of birth control.

The state legislature website shows HB2 places tougher restrictions on abortion procedures and clinic standards by banning termination of pregnancy after 20 weeks and mandating surgical centers within clinics.

The bill also indicates the doctor performing the abortion must have admitting privileges at a hospital within a 30-mile radius of the facility.

Tabitha Collier, sexual health advocate and Texas Tech University student, is an active voice on campus. As clinics reopen their doors across Texas, she said it was a good move on the Supreme Court’s behalf.

“I’m definitely for more places being open,” Collier said, “because even if they are against abortions for an unplanned pregnancy – like you actually got pregnant, you weren’t trying to – there’s abortions for medical reasons, and those may be matters of life or death.”

(Abortion Clinics In Texas)

She said the closures force women requiring a medically critical abortion to travel, as well. Scheduling conflicts, traveling distance, financial means and personal reasons, she said, may push individuals to dangerous alternatives.

Eric Finley, University Medical Center representative, said the center’s medical records do not indicate any self-induced abortion cases over the past year, but it has occurred in the past.

Collier said some women may find it difficult to seek help because of the moral issues surrounding this topic.

“I would hope they would have somebody that they could ask for help,” she said, “and if money is an issue, a lot of these people don’t want to ask their family or their friends for money because of the social stigma.”

She said she knows women who have faced this situation, but they were fortunate to have support.

Outside Holden Hall on a warm day, a young blonde woman sat independently while smoking a cigarette as leaves blew over the ground around her. Her accent was heavy as she explained this is her first month living in the U.S. While she enjoys her new home in Texas, she said, she finds the laws and morals regarding sexual health unusual.

Marine Marty is a 19-year-old student from Limoges, France. Marty said the one thing she has noticed is people have placed a taboo on sexuality, and that includes sexual education and health care.

“It’s so different here,” Marty said. “In France, we have access to abortion and to health system in general. We don’t have to pay for abortions, and it’s really nice because people and students are really aware of what they can do if it happens to them, and we have people in universities to help you and give you advice on how to practice abortion in an anonymous way.”

She said traveling for an abortion complicates the situation for women. For years, she said, women have struggled to have these rights, and now that there are restrictions, she said she feels society has regressed in regard toward women’s rights.

Nurse Martinez said, as of now, the El Paso clinic does not offer transportation to its sister clinic in New Mexico, but they are willing to look into that option to ease the burden for women who may find themselves in this situation.

She said she has seen the regression while on the border as residents from the neighboring city of Juarez, Mexico, come into her clinic, and her observation is Mexico is more progressive than Texas when it comes to abortion laws.

“In Mexico, women are progressing in this issue,” Martinez said. “In the United States, we are regressing.”

 

 

Previous: What are Title X Funds?                                                                                                                                                                                              Next: Sexual Health at Texas Tech

 

 

 

Feature Image Credit Tumblr