A preliminary review of statistics released by the Department of State Health Services in Texas shows a 27 percent increase in abortions after 12 weeks, NBC News reported.
The numbers appear to oppose the 2013 omnibus abortion bill passed by Texas, which said it would protect women’s health — a rationale rejected by the Supreme Court last month.
The total number of abortions dropped, despite the increase in later abortions — which rose from 4,814 procedures in 2013 to 6,117 in 2014.
"Although second-trimester abortion is very safe, it is associated with a higher risk of complications compared to early abortion, and it's more expensive for women," said University of California San Francisco professor Daniel Grossman, who shared his analysis exclusively with NBC News.
The Supreme Court found in June that new requirements on abortion providers mandated by the state law led to closures of about half of Texas’ abortion clinics, while concluding the regulations were medically unnecessary.
