Researchers say the number of abortions performed throughout Texas dropped after a 2013 law forced the closure of clinics in all but the largest cities, and the decline was steeper the farther a woman lived from a remaining clinic.
A study published Thursday in the Journal of American Medical Association found that abortions fell 50 percent in 2014 among Texas women living near the U.S.-Mexico border and in dozens of rural counties. That's where the distance to the nearest abortion clinic increased by more than 100 miles after closer providers shuttered.
Abortions in Texas overall decreased 15 percent after new regulations took effect. Abortions nationwide are on the decline.
The U.S. Supreme Court struck down the state's tougher abortion restrictions last year, but none of the more than 20 clinics that closed because of it have reopened.
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