Abortion Rates Increased in the U.S. After Roe v. Wade Was Overturned

Abortions were slightly more common in the U.S. during the first three months of this year compared to the period before the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, according to a report released on Wednesday. This increase is partially attributed to the enactment of laws in some Democratic-controlled states that protect doctors who utilize telemedicine to provide services to patients in states with abortion bans.

This data arrives ahead of the November elections, where abortion-rights supporters are hoping to mobilize voters around the issue. In several locations, voters will have the opportunity to vote on enshrining or rejecting state-level abortion protections.

The Supreme Court’s ruling in June 2022 in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization has significantly altered the landscape of abortion access across the nation. The #WeCount data, collected through a monthly survey since April 2022, offers insights into how both providers and seekers of abortion have adapted to these evolving legal frameworks.

The survey reveals that the number of abortions dropped to near zero in states that prohibit abortion at all stages of pregnancy and decreased by approximately half in states that ban it after six weeks of pregnancy. Currently, fourteen states have enforced bans on abortion at all stages of pregnancy, with some exceptions, while four others have implemented bans after approximately six weeks of pregnancy.

Conversely, abortions have risen in states where the procedure remains legal until later stages of pregnancy, particularly in states like Illinois, Kansas, and New Mexico, which share borders with states with abortion bans.

Abortion pills and telemedicine have become crucial tools in this shifting landscape. During March, doctors in states with protective laws for medical providers utilized telemedicine to prescribe abortion pills to almost 10,000 patients in states with bans or restrictions on telehealth abortion services. This represents approximately 1 in 10 abortions performed nationwide.

Laws aimed at protecting medical providers who employ telemedicine for abortion pill prescriptions began taking effect in certain Democratic-led states last year.

“It eases the burden on clinics,” remarked Ushma Upadhyay, a professor at the University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine and co-leader of #WeCount. “So it creates more space for the people who are coming to clinics.”

Opponents of abortion contend that the battle over abortion access is not over despite a narrow Supreme Court ruling that has maintained access for now. However, there have not been any legal challenges to the shield laws.

The latest edition of the survey encompasses the first three months of this year. January marked the first time since the survey’s inception that it recorded over 100,000 abortions nationwide in a single month.

Prior to the implementation of the shield laws and the commencement of #WeCount data collection, individuals were still obtaining abortion pills in states with bans.

Upadhyay pointed out that even before Roe was overturned, abortion demand outstripped access. She also underscored that despite the changing patterns, some women are continuing pregnancies they would have terminated if they had the option.

One state experiencing an increase in abortions was Florida. However, this trend shifted in April with the implementation of a ban after six weeks of gestation. The data does not yet reflect this change.

This policy could undergo another transformation through a November ballot measure that seeks to legalize abortion until viability, typically considered to be around 23 or 24 weeks of pregnancy. This measure would require at least 60% voter approval to be enshrined in the state constitution.

One voter opposed to this measure is Mia Adkins, a 20-year-old senior at Florida International University. She stated that the overturning of Roe and alterations to Florida’s laws have heightened awareness of abortion and solidified her belief in the need for limits.

“Instead of pushing for more abortion legal later in pregnancy, we should be pushing for laws that protect these pregnant parents and students and provide them with the support that they need,” said Akins, a senior at Florida International University.

Florida is one of six states with abortion-related measures already on the ballot. Decisions from election officials regarding the inclusion of similar questions are pending in four additional states. In Nebraska, there are two competing amendments: one to permit access until viability and another to maintain the current policy, which bans most abortions after 12 weeks of pregnancy.

Abortion-rights supporters have emerged victorious in all seven abortion ballot questions across the U.S. since 2022. This aligns with public opinion polls that have indicated growing support for abortion rights, including a recent poll that found 6 in 10 Americans believe their state should allow individuals to access legal abortions if they do not wish to be pregnant for any reason.

An amendment to protect abortion access could be on the ballot in Arizona, a politically competitive state where court cases have swayed abortion policy and access since the Dobbs ruling.

The state Supreme Court ruled in April that Arizona should enforce an 1864 ban on abortions at all stages of pregnancy. However, lawmakers subsequently repealed this law. The state’s ban on abortion after 15 weeks of pregnancy remains in effect. The ballot measure would extend this ban to 24 weeks.

Natalie Harper, a 23-year-old independent voter who does not typically participate in elections, said the potential return of the Civil War-era ban “absolutely” influences her decision to vote and support the ballot measure this November. “Seeing that as a possibility really made me realize that everyone’s pro-choice voices need to be heard in hopes it never goes in that direction again,” she said.

In Missouri, which has outlawed almost all abortions and where nearly no abortions were reported in the new data, election officials are nearing a decision on whether a proposed constitutional amendment guaranteeing abortion rights has received enough petition signatures to qualify for the ballot in this reliably Republican state.

Peverill Squire, a political scientist at the University of Missouri, suggested that if this measure appears on the ballot, it could mobilize enough Democratic voters to impact several competitive legislative races.

“They can seize on the personal freedom arguments the Republicans have generally owned over the recent elections,” he said.

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Associated Press writers Sejal Govindarao in Phoenix and David A. Lieb in Jefferson City, Missouri, contributed to this report.