Women protest in San Antonio following the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade in 2022. Credit: Jaime Monzon

At least six Texas children under the age of 12 received out-of-state-abortions in 2023, according to an Express-News story reporting on nationally compiled data.

Over 100 children under the age of 17 — the age of consent in Texas — crossed state lines to receive abortion care during 2023, the first year of Texas’ near-total abortion ban, the daily reports.

The Express-News drew the figures from a national data exchange called State and Territorial Exchange of Vital Events (STEVE). However, the date is incomplete, meaning the figures are likely higher, the report notes.

The records only cover the first half of 2023 at the moment, and some states don’t report data on abortions. No data from 2024 has been reported yet.

Before Texas’ abortion ban went into effect in August 2022, more than 1,000 minors obtained abortions in the state annually, the daily reports.

The Texas abortion ban provides no exceptions for victims of rape or incest. 

State Rep. Mihaela Plesa, D-Dallas, told the Express News the pregnancy of a child is a clear indicator that abuse has taken place.

“These are minors who have been abused, who are victims, who have already had a traumatic experience, and now are having to be re-traumatized in order to receive the healthcare that they need,” Plesa told the daily.

Plesa introduced a bill in the Texas House last session to create an exemption to allow unemancipated minors to receive an abortion without parental consent or judicial approval. The bill didn’t even receive a committee hearing, according to the daily.

Plesa plans to file a similar bill this session.

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This article appears in Jan 22 – Feb 4, 2025.

Stephanie Koithan is the Digital Content Editor of the San Antonio Current. In her role, she writes about politics, music, art, culture and food. Send her a tip at skoithan@sacurrent.com.