When the Dobbs decision leaked, I was in the middle of taking AP exams, preparing to say goodbye to my high-school teachers and classmates, and getting ready for prom and graduation. Just recently I had fallen in love with and committed to a university, which was a big milestone. It was an exciting time in my life, but the anticipated impact of Dobbs had me second-guessing this big decision. I feared the consequences of my decision to stay in Texas for another four years.
When it comes to college decisions, abortion laws shouldn’t be a burden weighing on the minds of new adults excited to venture out into the world. I didn’t want to and shouldn’t have had to consider the status of the basic right to autonomy in my school’s state. But so many students in my position face the same dilemma. According to a 2024 Gallup Poll, 71% of college-age people say that state reproductive healthcare policies impact their college choice.
37% of people who get abortions are in their teens or early twenties. In states with abortion restrictions, those with unwanted pregnancies are faced with terrifying and murky laws that worsen their mental health, particularly marginalized groups, who suffer the consequences of these restrictions most. This is especially true for young people.
To make matters worse, anti-abortion groups have rallied in the wake of these restrictions. Pro-life groups on my college campus celebrated Dobbs and doubled down on their efforts to target pregnant individuals. Since the ruling, they have disseminated pamphlets to students parroting common anti-abortion disinformation seeking to mislead students. A pro-life opinion written for my school’s student newspaper last year claimed that pro-life organizations offered resources to pregnant students, then substantiated that claim by directing readers to a known anti-abortion center. Students for Life of America has local chapters across the country, targeting students as early as middle school. They advance pro-life ideologies on school campuses and train young people to use the same deceptive and harassing methods against their peers.
[Pamphlets distributed by a pro-life organization on my college campus, 2/23/23]
These centers, 71% of which spread harmful disinformation about pregnancy and abortion, masquerade as medical clinics. They intentionally lie and spread fear about abortion, claiming that it leads to breast cancer, infertility, or death. Last year for a class research project, a classmate and I interviewed employees at reproductive health organizations across Houston to get an idea of their experiences since Dobbs. One of our interviewees admitted to having unknowingly gone to an anti-abortion center in the past. In order to trick her into thinking that she had enough time, they told her that she was only six weeks pregnant when she was really ten weeks. Lying about gestational age is a known and routine strategy for these centers.
These anti-abortion centers strategically establish themselves near high school and college campuses, seeking to reach the most vulnerable individuals and dissuade them from seeking abortion. Worst of all, they are often state-funded. Since the overturning of Roe v. Wade, Texas, which funnels money to these centers through its Alternatives to Abortion program, has increased funding to $140 million.
Abortion restrictions drive professors and other young professionals out of states and keep new ones from coming in. Last year, my own university president admitted that our school is having trouble recruiting new faculty due to Texas’s conservative politics, including its recent abortion laws. Abortion restrictions and anti-abortion centers hurt everyone, especially students. But, students across America are fighting back and empowering their peers. In Colorado, the Brazen Project works to combat the stigma surrounding abortion and spread awareness about anti-abortion centers. At my school, I and several others have founded a Students for Reproductive Justice group focused on anti-racism and reproductive justice that seeks to increase access to reproductive and sexual health resources on campus, start conversations about abortion, and ensure that fellow students know that they have reproductive options even in Texas.
We cannot afford to do nothing amid this crisis. The ramifications of these attacks are felt in wide-ranging ways, from direct impacts on maternal health to quality of life and education in abortion-hostile states. When our governments refuse to take care of us, we have a duty to step up and care for each other.