CHLP Joins Amicus Brief Supporting Contraceptive Access for Youth in Texas

CHLP joined an amicus brief to the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals filed by the Center for Reproductive Rights on behalf of Jane's Due Process, Advocates for Youth, and 133 other organizations that are committed to advancing reproductive health, rights, and access for young people.

Filed on May 1, 2023, the brief in Deanda v. Becerra argues that the loss of independent and confidential access to birth control is harmful to youth in Texas that rely on Title X clinics for essential healthcare services by denying them the ability to make decisions about their health, lives, and futures. The brief is important because it represents the interests of young people who are otherwise not represented in the litigation and who will be directly impacted by the loss of confidential access to birth control in Texas.

The decision on appeal in Deanda v. Becerra was issued by Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas on December 8, 2022. The decision requires proof of parental consent in order for minors to access birth control in Title X clinics in Texas. See the Vox article, A notorious Trump judge just fired the first shot against birth control, for a comprehensive look at the judicial activism behind the push to limit access to contraception.