Reproductive Care Research Finds 6% Fewer Abortions Post-Roe

A national abortion reporting program found that, on average, 5,377 fewer abortions were performed each month after the Supreme Court struck down Roe v. Wade in June 2022. The study conducted by the Society of Family Planning used an internal database of reproductive care providers finding that between July and December 2022, a shortfall of 32,260 abortions emerged due to several newly introduced state-wide abortion bans.

Researchers expect that their data recorded 83% of all abortions performed across the United States, and using their statistics, it’s estimated that abortions have dropped by around 6% since the June Dobbs v. Jackson’s Women’s Health Organization Supreme Court decision.

The study also examined how different state laws affected the rate of abortion. In states where abortion remained legal, 11,150 additional abortions were performed compared to pre-Dobbs numbers. Part of this increase was due to the rise of virtual abortion clinics that have the authority to prescribe abortion pills. According to the study results, in states without abortion bans, virtual-only abortions increased by 137% from April to December.

Moreover, the total share of abortions performed by telehealth providers has increased precipitously since the Dobbs decision, growing from 4% of all abortions in April to 11% in December.

The surge may be attributed to an influx of patients from abortion-ban states using telehealth services in other states to receive medication abortions. Some governors have already pressed to end this practice by banning the use of medication for the purpose of causing abortion. Such is the case in Wyoming, where individuals may receive six months of jail time and or a fine if they provide a patient with abortion pills like mifepristone.

A recent decision by a federal judge in Texas may also undo the FDA approval of mifepristone, potentially making it illegal throughout the entire country. It is yet to be seen whether that decision will reach the US Supreme Court.

“Substantial research has documented grave consequences of not being able to obtain a wanted abortion that persist for years,” wrote the study’s authors in their conclusion. “Compared to people who receive desired abortions, those who seek but are unable to obtain a desired abortion experience a variety of negative outcomes, including increased economic insecurity, poorer physical health, and continued exposure to violence from the man involved in the pregnancy. Thus, we must resolve to keep our attention on the impacts of Dobbs on the thousands of people who were unable to obtain abortions in the first six months after the decision, as well as those who will certainly be impacted in the future.”