Lauren Thaxton
Posted March 12, 2026
March 10 was Abortion Provider Appreciation Day, honoring the work and dedication of health care providers of abortion care in Colorado and around the country.
As an OB-GYN doctor with fellowship training in complex abortion care, I am deeply thankful to be a part of this community of conscientious and dedicated providers.
This year I am also grateful to be in Colorado, a state that prides itself as a leader and safe haven for reproductive health care. I moved to Colorado from Texas after years of providing OB-GYN care in an increasingly hostile state to people who can become pregnant. In Texas, I found myself often at odds between the care my patients needed (abortion) and the care that I was legally able to provide. I believe every one of my patients deserve the highest level of care. I was so tired of being unable to provide that care, not because I lacked the resources or training, but because of a legal environment that dictates the options my patients had.
Restrictive abortion policies mean pregnant people in Texas do not have the same health care options as people in Colorado. Even though I left Texas, I am still connected to my community. In my current position, I see Texans every day traveling to access abortion care in Colorado.
I was so tired of being unable to provide that care, not because I lacked the resources or training, but because of a legal environment that dictates the options my patients had.
The overturning of Roe and the constitutional right to abortion hasn’t stopped abortion care, but it has changed the geography. Data from the Society of Family Planning’s #WeCount project shows that, despite state-level bans, total legal abortions in the U.S. have not declined. Instead, they slightly increased from 2022 to 2025 with over 1.14 million abortions recorded in 2024. This trend continues with the monthly average number of abortions slightly higher in the first half of 2025 than the monthly average was in 2024.
The demand for abortion in Colorado has dramatically increased due to escalating abortion restrictions in other states and patients traveling to Colorado to access this care. The Cobalt Abortion Fund spent more than $1.25 million in 2023, and in 2025 Cobalt Abortion Fund spent just over $2.4 million. Eighty-six percent of clients that received practical support from Cobalt Abortion Fund were Texas residents. Cobalt Abortion Fund saw a 1,064% increase in spending for abortion seekers accessing care from 2021 (pre-Dobbs) to 2025.
Yet, many pregnant Americans will still be unable to travel and therefore unable to access abortion. Every pregnant person should have the right to make health care decisions. Every health care provider should be able to practice patient-centered, evidence-based medicine. The quality of care that a patient can receive should not be dictated by their ZIP code.
As an abortion provider, I am proud of the work that I do: supporting people seeking abortion care, from whatever state and for whatever reason. I am grateful to provide that care in a state like Colorado that supports my rights and the rights of all its residents.
Dr. Lauren Thaxton is a practicing OB-GYN in the Denver metro area. This commentary is republished from Colorado Newsline under a Creative Commons license.
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