Study: Texas birth control fell after Planned Parenthood cut

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AUSTIN, Texas – A new study finds that Texas saw a drop in women obtaining long-acting birth control after Republican leaders booted Planned Parenthood from a state women's health program in 2013, which researchers say may explain an increase in births among some poor families.

The research examined the effects of Texas severing taxpayer ties with the largest abortion provider in the U.S. The same year Texas barred Planned Parenthood, then-Gov. Rick Perry signed tough abortion restrictions that shuttered clinics statewide.

Researchers say their findings suggest a likely policy link between the exclusion of Planned Parenthood and women obtaining long-acting birth control.

Republican state Sen. Jane Nelson called the study misleading and defended access to women's services.

The study was released Wednesday by the New England Journal of Medicine.