There were 25,640 fewer abortions performed by clinicians in the U.S. between July 2022 and March 2023, since Roe v. Wade was overturned following the outcome of Dobbs v. Jackson last June, according to a new report from Denver-based non-profit, the Society of Family Planning.
The state-by-state bans that were triggered by the reversal of a reproductive rights policy that was in place for nearly 50 years led to more than 80,000 people encountering disruptions in their attempt to access abortion healthcare, the organization found. And states that did instate abortion bans at six weeks of pregnancy or entirely, had the largest percentage of decline.
States with six-week bans, like Ohio, South Carolina and Georgia cumulatively had a total of 15,720 fewer abortions provided by a clinician than would have been expected otherwise. In the 24 states with total abortion bans like Alabama, Texas, and Tennessee, there were 65,920 fewer clinician-provided abortions since July 2022 than would have been expected without.
But, in states where abortion remains legal, like California and Colorado, there was a cumulative total of 56,000 more who had abortions.
Regarding patient demographics, researchers found that "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."
While researchers analyzed a compilation of data from several nationwide healthcare institutions, clinics and databases they were unable to estimate how many pregnant individuals in the U.S. self-managed abortions versus carried to term during this timeframe.