DEEP IN THE HEART OF TEXAS

Written By lauren napier

The escalating maternal health crisis in Texas has created a fraught landscape for women navigating relationships and reproductive autonomy. With maternal mortality rates soaring by 63% between 2018 and 20201, and post-abortion-ban sepsis complications rising 50%2, single women now face unprecedented risks in a state where pregnancy can become a life-threatening condition. This reality demands a reexamination of dating norms, safety protocols, and the eroded protections that once made Texas a battleground for reproductive rights advocacy.

A Dangerous New Reality

Texas’ maternal mortality rate reached 27.7 deaths per 100,000 live births by 2020 – surpassing the national average and exceeding rates in many developing nations1. For Black women, the crisis is particularly acute: They experience severe maternal morbidity at nearly double the rate of White women (134.4 vs. 72.6 cases per 100,000 deliveries)1. These statistics gained grim context after 2021’s abortion ban, which coincided with a 33% increase in Texas maternal deaths through 2023 even as national rates declined2. ProPublica’s analysis revealed that delayed miscarriage care under abortion restrictions led to preventable sepsis deaths, with clinicians fearing legal repercussions for providing standard obstetric interventions2.

For single women, these developments transform casual dating into a high-stakes gamble. The disappearance of abortion access – once protected by advocates like Cecile Richards – means every sexual encounter carries potential life-or-death consequences. In this environment, traditional dating safety measures must expand to address medical and legal vulnerabilities.

Dating Safely in a Post-Roe Texas

Women navigating Texas’ dating scene now require strategies combining personal security, medical preparedness, and legal awareness:

1. Technological Safeguards

  • Emergency Alert Systems: Devices like Silent Beacon’s panic button enable direct 911 access and discreet location sharing3. Their “Check-In” feature lets users automate safety updates to trusted contacts during dates3.

  • Encrypted Communication: Apps like Signal ensure private discussions about contraception or pregnancy concerns avoid digital surveillance.

2. Medical Preparedness

  • Emergency Contraception Stockpiling: With 80% of maternal deaths deemed preventable1, maintaining Plan B supplies becomes critical.

  • Provider Vetting: Identify OB-GYNs willing to document health conditions that might qualify for legal abortions under Texas’ narrow exceptions.

3. Partner Screening Protocols

  • STI/Reproductive History Conversations: Require recent test results and discussions about contraception adherence before intimacy.

  • Legal Agreement Templates: Some attorneys now draft “reproductive responsibility” contracts outlining financial/medical obligations if contraception fails.

4. Exit Strategies

  • Code Words: Establish phrases to alert friends if a date becomes unsafe medically (e.g., “I need my red jacket” indicating pregnancy scare).

  • Cross-Border Networks: Maintain contacts in New Mexico or Colorado who can provide transportation/logistics for out-of-state care.

The Richards Legacy Under Siege

This crisis represents a stark reversal of progress fought for by Texas’ most prominent women’s health advocates. Former Governor Ann Richards (1991-1995) championed prison reforms and education equity, creating the Ann Richards School for Young Women Leaders to empower disadvantaged youth4. Though her tenure included contradictions – notably signing a revised penal code containing anti-sodomy provisions4 – she laid groundwork for reproductive advocacy that her daughter Cecile would expand.

Cecile Richards transformed Planned Parenthood into a political powerhouse during her 12-year presidency, battling Republican defunding efforts and mobilizing resistance to Trump-era abortion restrictions5. Before her 2025 death from brain cancer, she pioneered digital tools to circumvent abortion bans, including AI chatbots that provided termination information5. Her legacy now faces existential threats: Maternal mortality trends she once fought now escalate under policies she warned against.

A Call to Action

The data paints an urgent picture:

  • 80% of Texas pregnancy-related deaths were preventable with proper care1

  • Post-ban maternal mortality rose 33% vs. 7.5% national decline2

  • Black women’s SMM rates indicate systemic racism in care access1

Women must demand accountability while protecting themselves. This includes:

  • Voting in Local Races: District attorneys who pledge not to prosecute abortion cases need support

  • Demanding Hospital Transparency: Petition ERs to publish miscarriage care protocols

  • Creating Underground Networks: Following Cecile Richards’ model of discreet resource sharing5

The shadow of Texas’ maternal health crisis extends into every dating app conversation, every birth control debate, every whispered pregnancy scare. What Ann and Cecile Richards built through education and advocacy now requires radical adaptation – combining personal vigilance with collective action to survive a government that has turned reproduction into Russian roulette.

lauren napier
Next