Women's Health

Number of Abortions Performed Per Month in U.S. Unchanged Since Fall of Roe v. Wade

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By:

Ernie Mundell

Published on: 

Feb 28, 2024

 

 

Key Takeaways

• Monthly abortion rates across the United States haven't changed significantly since the fall of Roe v. Wade

• The percentage of abortions involving medications appears to be on the rise

• Many women living in states with abortion bans may be traveling to adjacent states for the procedure

WEDNESDAY, Feb. 28, 2024 (HealthDay News) -- The historic overturning of Roe v. Wade in 2022 has not had any significant effect on the number of abortions performed each month in the United States, new data shows.

The #WeCount report tracks abortion rates across the country for the nonprofit Society of Family Planning, a group promoting research on abortion and contraception.

It found that between 81,150 and 88,620 abortions took place each month between July and September of 2023 (the most recent period for which numbers are available).

That's only a slight decline from the monthly average of about 86,800 abortions performed from April through June 2022 -- just before Roe v. Wade was overturned.

The report also found that, increasingly, women are turning to medical abortion (pills) instead of surgical procedures. Pills now account for one-sixth of all abortions, according to the most recent data.

All of this could mean that, “even when a state bans abortion, people continue to need and seek abortion care,” report co-chair Alison Norris, a professor at Ohio State University’s College of Public Health, said in a statement. “We can’t let the overall consistent number of abortions nationally obscure the incredible unmet need and disastrous impact of abortion bans on people who already have the least access.”

Despite the lack of change in numbers, the report estimates that 120,000 more abortions would have happened over the survey period in the 14 states where the procedure is now banned, had bans not been put in place.

Women who need an abortion may simply be traveling, the report suggests. It found a rise in the number of abortions performed in certain states (Florida, Illinois and Kansas) that border states that have bans in effect.

More information

Find out more about the availability of abortion in the United States at the Guttmacher Institute.

SOURCE: #WeCount, Society for Family Planning, report, Feb. 28, 2024

February 28, 2024

Telehealth Abortions as Safe and Effective as In-Person Ones

Emily Harris

Article Information

JAMA. Published online February 28, 2024. doi:10.1001/jama.2024.1123

About 98% of people experienced complete abortions without needing any additional interventions after receiving abortion medication provided via telehealth, according to electronic records from more than 6000 abortions provided in 20 states by 3 virtual clinics. The study, published in Nature Medicine, is among the first to establish the safety and effectiveness of no-test medication abortions—abortions that are monitored remotely and don’t include in-person ultrasonography or blood tests, the researchers noted.

The patients received 200 mg of mifepristone and 1600 μg or less of misoprostol. Approximately 0.2% of patients experienced a serious adverse event, such as a blood transfusion or a hospital admission requiring an overnight stay. This rate is similar to abortions delivered in-person.

Researchers also compared asynchronous telehealth abortions, in which clinicians communicated with their patients through secure messages, with synchronous telehealth abortions that took place in real time. Both were equally safe and effective.

These findings suggest that “policies that restrict telehealth abortion owing to concerns or claims about effectiveness or safety need to be revisited and revised to ensure equitable access to this essential healthcare service,” the researchers wrote.

Published Online: February 28, 2024. doi:10.1001/jama.2024.1123