Texas Teen Birthrate Rose for First Time in 15 Years after Abortion Ban, Largely Affecting Latinas

The fertility rate for teens in Texas rose for the first time in 15 years in 2022, a shift driven by disproportionately high rates among Hispanic teens in the year after a six-week state abortion ban took effect, according to a University of Houston study.

Latinas of all ages also experienced the biggest increase in births and fertility rates compared to other racial or ethnic group in the state from 2021 to 2022, according to the study, released last week by the University of Houston’s Institute for Research on Women, Gender & Sexuality.

Texas women delivered 16,147 more babies in 2022 than in 2021. Of those, 13,503 babies, or 84%, were delivered by Latinas, according to the study.

In addition, the average fertility rate — the number of children born per 1,000 women — rose 5.1% among Latinas, compared to falling 0.2% for non-Hispanic white women and 0.6% for Black women. Among Latinas 25 and older, fertility rates rose 8%.

The state’s overall fertility rate rose for the first time since 2014, by 2%.

Texas’ teen birthrate increased slightly overall, while the U.S. teen birthrate remained steady. Hispanic, Asian and Black teens all had varying increases in their birthrates, while the rate for non-Hispanic whites continued to decline.

Among Texas’ Hispanic teens, the rate rose 1.2%, or an increase from 27.22 to 27.56 births per 1,000. For non-Hispanic white teens, the fertility rate fell 5%, from 11.71 births to 11.13 births per 1,000. The fertility rate for Black teens rose by 0.5%, or 22.29 to 22.41. For Asian teens, birthrates rose by 8.2%, a larger ratio because of smaller numbers, 1.42 births to 1.58 births per 1,000.

{snip}