Abortions rose nationally in year after Dobbs decision, but fell in banned states: analysis

The number of clinician-performed abortions increased slightly nationally in the year following the overturning of Roe v. Wade by the Supreme Court, although abortions have declined significantly in states banning the procedure, according to a new analysis.

The latest report from the Society of Family Planning’s WeCount project found that nationally, there were 2,200 additional surgical and medication abortions in the 12 months from July 2022 to June 2023.

But the report notes that the overall increase masks the state-to-state variability that followed the high court’s Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision. Clinician-performed abortions have virtually disappeared in banning states, while abortion care has increased in states where the procedure is legal with fewer restrictions.

In states where abortion is banned entirely or for six weeks, abortions declined by nearly 115,000.

States where abortion remained legal beyond six weeks saw a cumulative increase of nearly 117,000 abortions in the 12 months following the Dobbs ruling.

“What actually happened over those 12 months was that access to abortion dropped to zero in some states, while it increased to meet acute needs in others. others, leading to complete disruption of the healthcare system and people’s lives,” said Ushma Upadhyay, co-head of WeCount. chair and professor at the University of California, San Francisco.

“Our ability to access safe and effective health care should not depend on the state we live in or our ability to travel to get needed care,” Upadhyay told reporters.

In the 14 states where abortion is almost completely banned, there were nearly 95,000 fewer abortions performed by clinicians, a 100 percent decrease.

States with the largest increases or increases in volume include Florida and North Carolina, which border states where abortion is banned and serve as hotspots for people traveling from other states to seek treatment.

But those numbers could change, as North Carolina recently enacted a 12-week ban with an additional requirement for in-person counseling.

A separate analysis released earlier this month showed that abortions in North Carolina fell 31 percent in the month after the state’s 12-week abortion ban took effect. ‘State.

And Florida is poised to enact a six-week ban if the state Supreme Court upholds current restrictions.

“The fact that abortions have increased overall over the past year shows what happens when access to abortion is improved and some previously unmet abortion needs are met,” Alison said Norris, co-president of WeCount and professor in the College of Public at Ohio State University. Health.

“At the same time, this increase in access to abortion cannot mask the enormous difficulties people face in obtaining basic health services. And for people who cannot travel, we know that refusing abortion care can have devastating mental, emotional and economic consequences,” Norris said.