According to a new study by the Guttmacher Institute, despite abortions being banned or severely limited in 12 states as a result of the Dobbs ruling, more abortions were performed in the United States in the first half of 2023 than in the first half of 2020.
“You have two forces at work,” said Caitlin Myers, an economist at Middlebury College, who reviewed the Guttmacher report. “On the one hand, you have people trapped in ban states, and, on the other, you have people in a whole lot of the country where access has improved.”
The research shows that 511,000 abortions were performed in 2023 by states where the procedure was legal.
New York Times:
Nearly all states where abortion is legal have seen an increase in the number of procedures. However, the most noticeable change occurred in the states that border those who ban abortions completely. These states relaxed their abortion laws and opened clinics in order to accommodate patients from other states. Illinois, where abortions are legal, saw an increase of 69 percent between 2020 and 2023, from 26,000 to 45,000.
Estimated numbers of abortions also increased in other states that have restrictive neighbors like Colorado, Kansas New Mexico, and South Carolina.
The estimated number of abortions dropped in states with restrictions or bans. Researchers stress that even though abortion rates have increased, this doesn’t necessarily mean that bans aren’t having an impact.
Isaac Maddow Zimet, data scientist and lead researcher for the Guttmacher Institute’s report, said: “Travel is not free.” “Just because an abortion is not denied to someone doesn’t mean that it was a pleasant experience.” “We know that many people are unable to leave their home state.”
The report does not include abortions that are obtained outside the formal health care system. For example, pills sent from abroad or from states where abortion is legal to states with bans. According to other data, thousands of people have purchased abortion pills from overseas, particularly those who live in states that ban abortion.
California, Florida, and New York were the states with the highest number of abortions. Researchers used a statistical model to calculate their numbers, which led to a wide range of uncertainty. States with more abortion providers had a greater degree of uncertainty. The 14 states that had abortion bans in place in the first half of the year were not included in the data collection.
The abortion travel has not had any impact on the abortion figures.
Katie Daniel, state policy director for Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, said: “There’s a feeling among legislators we passed strong laws, and yet our neighbors from Colorado or Illinois allow these businesses to appear on our border.”
Republicans in Congress want to restrict abortions nationwide to 15 weeks. The advocates of a complete ban on abortion will not budge from their position.
Abortion is likely to hurt the GOP’s chances of winning elections until Republicans reach a consensus.
