Child rape survivors face extraordinary barriers in states with abortion bans

As children in Texas, A and her sister were raped multiple times by their stepfather and his friends before she found she was pregnant earlier this year.

Since Roe v Wade was overturned by the US supreme court in 2022, 14 states have passed near-total abortion bans. Ten of those states, including Texas, have no exceptions for survivors of rape or incest. A study published earlier this year estimated that 65,000 rape-related pregnancies probably occurred in states with abortion bans since Roe fell.

While there are no studies on the numbers of rape-related pregnancies in minors since Roe was overturned, young people in states with abortion bans face unique barriers, according to doctors and advocates who spoke with the Guardian.

Other states are seeking to make it even harder for children to access care. Laws in Idaho and Tennessee seek to punish any adult who helps a minor cross state lines for an abortion.