Study: Abortions rose in states with, without bans after Dobbs decision
June 23 (UPI) -- Abortions in the United States increased despite the U.S. Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe vs. Wade, according to a report released Monday by the Society of Family Planning.
The international nonprofits #WeCount study found that around 1.1 million abortions were performed by licensed clinicians in 2024, up from 1.06 million in 2023.
Of the procedures performed in 2024, 25% were completed via Telehealth, which has risen from just 5% in the second quarter of 2022. The other abortions took place in brick-and-mortar clinics.
Co-Chair and professor at Ohio State University's College of Public Health and co-principal investigator of the Ohio Policy Evaluation Network Dr. Alison Norris said the findings "make clear that abortion bans haven't stopped people from seeking care."
"As care shifts across state lines and into telehealth care," she said. "What's emerging is a deeply fragmented system where access depends on where you live, how much money you have, and whether you can overcome barriers to care."
According to the Society's findings, shield laws, which provide legal protection to clinicians who provide abortion care via telehealth to people in states with bans on abortion or telehealth "continue to facilitate abortion access, especially in states where abortion is banned."
There are eight states that feature such shield laws, and in those states, an average of 12,330 abortions per month were conducted in the final quarter of 2024, an increase of 8,747 over the first quarter of 2024.
However, abortion care has also increased in states where it is banned. Under shield protections, Texas has seen the highest number of medication abortions via telehealth, with an average of 3,427 monthly at the end of 2024.
The Society of Family Planning further found Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, South Dakota, and Texas saw more monthly abortions by the end of 2024 than in the months before the Dobbs Supreme Court decision in 2022. It was the Dobbs decision that overturned Roe vs. Wade, which ruled in 1973 that the Constitution of the United States protected the right to have an abortion.
"Millions of people live in states where abortion is banned or restricted, and traveling for care isn't an option for everyone," said Co-Founder of the Massachusetts Medication Abortion Access Project Dr. Angel Foster in the release.
"By providing safe, affordable medication abortion via telemedicine, we make sure people can get the care they need, no matter where they live or what they can afford."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
UPI
an hour ago
- UPI
Moderna's new flu shot shows strong results in older adults
The vaccine, called mRNA-1010, was tested in a Phase 3 study in adults ages 50 and older. It worked better than a standard-dose flu vaccine, providing 26.6% more protection against the flu overall, Moderna said. Adobe stock/HealthDay July 1 (UPI) -- Moderna's new flu vaccine, based on the same mRNA technology used in its COVID-19 shot, showed promising results in a major trial, the company announced. The vaccine, called mRNA-1010, was tested in a Phase 3 study in adults ages 50 and older. It worked better than a standard-dose flu vaccine, providing 26.6% more protection against the flu overall, the company said. In adults 65 and older, the vaccine showed a 27.4% improvement. "The severity of this past flu season underscores the need for more effective vaccines," Moderna CEO Stéphane Bancel told The Wall Street Journal on Monday. "An mRNA-based flu vaccine has the potential advantage to more precisely match circulating strains, support rapid response in a future influenza pandemic, and pave the way for COVID-19 combination vaccines," he added. Moderna said the trial showed strong results in people across different age groups, health conditions and even among people who had been vaccinated for the flu in the past. The company plans to present the full data at an upcoming medical conference and publish the results in a peer-reviewed journal. Moderna also said it will work with health regulators on the next steps for possible approval of the vaccine, The Wall Street Journal said. The news comes amid continuing interest in mRNA vaccine technology, even as public views shift. Moderna gained prominence during the COVID-19 pandemic but now faces more political scrutiny as the Trump administration considers new rules for vaccines. The new results helped boost Moderna's stock by more than 4% in early trading Monday, though the company's shares are still down about 32% for the year. More information Moderna has more on the science behind mRNA. Copyright © 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
The Hill
7 hours ago
- The Hill
Supreme Court's Medina ruling frees states to defund Planned Parenthood
The U.S. Supreme Court just delivered a major blow to the abortion industry with its ruling allowing states to defund abortion businesses like Planned Parenthood. In its 6-3 decision in Medina v. Planned Parenthood South Atlantic, the court confirmed that states get to decide who qualifies for Medicaid funding and can instead fund organizations that provide real, comprehensive health care. For seven years, South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster (R) has defended his state's policy against using tax dollars to fund abortion providers. This spring, my firm, Alliance Defending Freedom, represented South Carolina at the Supreme Court, receiving support from a broad coalition that included the U.S. government and 18 states. We argued that states should be free to direct Medicaid funds away from the abortion industry and toward real health care providers that offer women a wide range of services. The court's ruling last week allows South Carolina to do just that. Medicaid exists to help low-income Americans get the medical care they need. But abortion giants like Planned Parenthood focus instead on ending unborn life and distributing puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones to gender-confused children. That is not medical care. They also don't need public dollars, as they are already flush with cash. Planned Parenthood, for instance, received $3.2 billion from taxpayers over a five-year period. That's on top of the hundreds of millions more it receives from private donors every year. And since Roe v. Wade was reversed in 2022, it's had a fundraising boom, amassing over $2.5 billion in net assets. Despite such revenues, Planned Parenthood has proved to be a poor steward of its resources. In February, The New York Times reported that over the last five years, Planned Parenthood's 'national office has distributed more than $899 million to affiliates to help them deliver care, but none of it went directly to medical services.' Where did it go? According to The Times, much of it went to pro-abortion politicking and legal costs. Meanwhile, women's health suffered. From 2022 to 2023, women's preventative-care visits to Planned Parenthood fell by 31 percent — even as it performed a record-high 402,000 abortions. Since 2010, its cancer screening and prevention services have fallen by 71 percent, including a 72 percent drop for breast exams and 74 percent for pap tests. The Times also revealed multiple examples of botched care, aging equipment, poorly trained staff, and a 'chaotic' and 'toxic' culture at Planned Parenthood. One former employee described its facilities as a 'conveyor belt' where women were often given the wrong medications, taken to the wrong rooms, and prepped for the wrong procedures as employees 'scrambled to move people in and out.' Women deserve better than this, and taxpayers certainly shouldn't have to fund it. Beyond offering substandard care, Planned Parenthood also preys on children. It is now the nation's second-largest provider of dangerous gender-transition drugs something it openly advertises — and it gives these drugs to minors. Not surprisingly, when South Carolina acted to shield children from these drugs over against Planned Parenthood's political efforts, the abortion giant was 'outraged.' Consensus has turned sharply against these medical experiments on minors, both here and around the world. Seven in 10 Americans now oppose giving children gender-transition drugs. No state should be forced to fund groups that do so. Most Americans also oppose using their tax dollars to support abortion. This Supreme Court ruling vindicates them. The Medicaid dollars that flowed to Planned Parenthood, while not directly funding abortions, freed up vast amounts of other funds that can then be used for abortions. Because of this ruling, South Carolina taxpayers no longer have to line the pockets of Planned Parenthood, its substandard care for women or gender-transition drugs for children. They are instead free to support the nearly 200 clinics across their state that offer high-quality, comprehensive care to women. And other states are free to do the same. Kristen Waggoner is CEO and president of Alliance Defending Freedom.
UPI
9 hours ago
- UPI
Australia arrests childcare worker; 1,200 children urged to get tested
July 1 (UPI) -- Authorities in Australia are recommending that 1,200 children be tested for infectious diseases after a 26-year-old man who worked at 20 childcare centers over the last few years was charged with dozens of offenses related to the sexual abuse of minors. Victoria Police announced in a statement Tuesday that Joshua Brown of Point Cook, a Melbourne suburb, has been charged with more than 70 counts related to the alleged abuse of eight children at a Point Cook childcare center between April 2022 and January 2023. He was arrested on May 12 and was remanded into police custody, where he remains, authorities said. Since his arrest, Victoria Police has undertaken what the department described as a "significant investigation" that established Brown worked at 20 childcare centers between January 2017 and May, and they are examining evidence of potential additional alleged offenses having committed at a second childcare facility. Investigators are currently trying to identify potential additional victims, Acting Commander Jane Stevenson of Crime Command said. "There will be people in the community who hear this news and feel very concerned about their own children. Parents who had a child at a center at the time of the many's employment are being notified today and a website has been set up by the Victorian government with further information for impacted families," Stevenson said in a statement. Australian police and health officials said families were being contacted "to ensure appropriate support and welfare services are provided." "The manner of the alleged offending means some children may be recommended for screening for infectious diseases," the government of Victoria said in a statement. "We acknowledge how distressing this will be for all families involved and the impact it will have on the broader community. Everything possible is being done to provide the vital support now required." Chief Health Officer Christian McGrath told reporters during a press conference that around 2,600 families have been contacted in connection to the case and that they are recommending approximately 1,200 children undergo testing for infectious diseases. "Families and the wider community can be reassured that the infections that the children were potentially exposed to can be treated with antibiotics and that there's no broader public health risk to the community," he said. Stevenson said in the press conference that they are not suggesting that the accused offended in all 20 centers, but they are encouraging anyone with information to come forward. She added that all alleged offenses are believed to have taken place within Victoria and that no other childcare workers were involved. Premier Jacinta Allan of Victoria issued a statement saying she was "sickened" by the allegations and that her "heart breaks for those families who are living every parent's worst nightmare." "As a parent, I can only imagine the unbearable pain and distress the affected families are feeling," she said. "Every health and mental health support will be provided to them."
