The average monthly number of abortions performed in the United States is increasing, according to a new report released on Wednesday, August 7. This is in spite of the limitations and prohibitions that have been in place since the US Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision, which overturned the federal right to an abortion established by Roe V. Wade, two years ago.
The first three months of 2024 saw an average of 98,990 abortions each month, according to #WeCount, a research initiative by the Society of Family Planning data, that has been collected in a monthly poll since April 2022. That’s around 12,000 more abortions each month, or 14% more than the average for the same period last year. Abortion rates exhibit seasonal trends and some month-to-month variation, but in January, monthly abortions exceeded 100,000 for the first time since #WeCount began monitoring almost two years’ prior, according to report.
The rise in the percentage of abortions has been attributed to medication-assisted and self-managed abortions. The most recent report reveals that 20% of all abortions in March 2024 were telehealth abortions, up from the data gathered by #WeCount in April 2022, which indicated that around 4% of all abortions were pharmaceutical abortions performed by telemedicine.
NM Political Report wrote on Wednesday that a study that was published on Tuesday in the online journal JAMA Network Open revealed that, nationwide, the number of self-managed abortions performed in the United States grew by 1% between 2021 and 2023. However, after taking underreporting into consideration, researchers calculate that there was a 2 percent rise in self-managed abortions following the Dobbs ruling.
More than 7,000 people who were designated female at birth, of reproductive age, and either English or Spanish-speaking were questioned by the researchers for the study, Self-Managed Abortion Attempts Before vs. After Changes in Federal Abortion Protections in the US.
To gather information for the study, Self-Managed Abortion Attempts Before vs. After Changes in Federal Abortion Protections in the US, the researchers interviewed approximately 7,000 people who were either English or Spanish-speaking, designated female at birth, and of reproductive age. To determine the rate of self-managed abortion treatment during the time when Roe v. Wade was still in place and the rate following the court’s overthrow of it, the researchers conducted a series of interviews both before and after the Dobbs decision.
Women who self-managed their abortion attempts reported to have used a variety of techniques such as using alcohol or drugs, lifting large objects, and having hot baths. Furthermore, around 22% of them admitted to striking their own stomachs. Approximately 4% said they had inserted an object in their body, according to the JAMA study.
According to Lauren Ralph, an epidemiologist who co-authored the study, “one of the most common reasons for seeking a self-administered abortion was privacy concerns.”
“According to our research, 6% of respondents claimed that the reason they self-managed was because abortion was prohibited in their area,” he added.
In a statement, Dr. Alison Norris, co-chair of #WeCount and a professor at The Ohio State University’s College of Public Health, stated, “While the volume of abortions has increased, we know that this isn’t the full story.” “The hardship on an individual living in a state with an abortion prohibition is tremendous, especially if they need in-person abortion treatment, even when we observe the national abortion volume increasing.