Tessa Cox
Senior Research AssociateTessa Cox is Senior Research Associate at Charlotte Lozier Institute, where her research focuses on abortion statistics at the state and national levels and the changing landscape of abortion policy, provision, and access in the United States.
Tessa has appeared on CBN News and EWTN News Nightly and has testified before Members of Congress on the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act. Her work has been featured by National Review Online, Newsweek, The Gospel Coalition, Fox News, The Daily Signal, and many other national media outlets. She has contributed to peer-reviewed research on women’s experiences with chemical abortion and the impact of abortion on women enrolled in Medicaid.
Originally from Illinois, Tessa earned a BA in Communications from Thomas Edison State University. Prior to joining CLI, she got her start in pro-life research with the Family Research Council.
Research Authored
Fact Sheet: A Summary of the CDC’s 2022 Abortion Surveillance Report
The CDC released its annual abortion surveillance report on November 28, detailing 2022 abortion data in 48 reporting areas (46 states, NYC, and D.C.). Included in this fact sheet are key data points from that report.
Abortion Reporting: Texas (2023)
Texas’ 2023 abortion report was released by Texas Health and Human Services in September 2024, showing a significant drop in abortions from 2022.
Fact Sheet: Third Trimester Abortion and “Abortion Up to Birth”
While many abortion centers only perform abortions in early pregnancy, there are several abortion centers that advertise abortions in the third trimester for any reason. Although media coverage tends to focus on third trimester abortions performed because the unborn baby has a serious health condition or a threat exists to the mother’s life, research shows that many third trimester abortions are performed for the same reasons unrelated to serious maternal or fetal health concerns as earlier abortions
Fact Sheet: Are Pro-Life State Laws Preventing Pregnant Women from Receiving Emergency Care?
Articles highlighting poor quality medical care in pro-life states have raised concerns that state laws are preventing pregnant women from obtaining necessary emergency care. However, all pro-life state laws allow doctors to treat women with pregnancy emergencies, no law requires “imminence” before a doctor can intervene, and every pro-life state permits doctors to treat women suffering from miscarriages or ectopic pregnancies. Doctors who fail to provide patients with necessary emergency treatment therefore may be committing malpractice.
Dobbs and Medical Deserts: Will Pro-Life Laws Drive Away Doctors and Lead to Hospital Closures?
Post-Dobbs, pro-life states’ efforts to protect life have been met with pushback, including widespread claims that the laws are contributing to hospital closures and driving doctors away. A close look at the data shows that these claims are unjustified. Pro-life states continue to train medical students, recruit future doctors, and position themselves for further growth.
U.S. Abortion Trends: 2021-2022
This paper is an analysis of 2021 and 2022 abortion data published by state health departments, along with a discussion of recent estimates for 2023. Of the 34 states that reported abortion data for both 2021 and 2022 as of April 2024, there was a 4% overall decrease in the number of abortions.
Comparative Acuity of Emergency Department Visits Following Pregnancy Outcomes Among Medicaid Eligible Women, 2004-2015
Consistent with national trends for ED visits, both the number and acuity of ED visits following pregnancy outcomes are increasing. ED visit acuity following chemical abortion is persistently and significantly higher than for surgical abortion or live birth.
First Pregnancy Abortion or Natural Pregnancy Loss: A Cohort Study of Mental Health Services Utilization
While both induced abortion and natural pregnancy loss have been associated with subsequent mental health problems, population-based studies directly comparing these two pregnancy outcomes are rare. This study compared mental health morbidity after an induced abortion to natural loss. Only the abortion cohort experienced significant increases in mental health services use following the first pregnancy outcome.
Abortion Reporting: Indiana (2023)
Indiana changed to quarterly reporting for 2023 and, as a result, this data represents the summation of the data in the quarterly reports. These reports showed that abortions in Indiana decreased significantly from 2022, likely due to the state’s life at conception law going back into effect in late August 2023.
Fact Sheet: Three Problems with the FDA’s Abortion Drugs Complications Data
The FDA’s abortion drugs complications data is woefully incomplete. From 2020-2022, the six states that report complications by type of procedure reported 1,004 total complications from drug-induced abortions. Meanwhile, the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System data reflects just 17 unduplicated abortion-related adverse events over this same period.