Legal Abortions In The U.S. Have Spiked Despite State Bans

June marked a year since the constitutional right to abortion was overturned by the Supreme Court, and its results might be shocking: the total number of legal abortions in the United States has risen by 0.2% according to the first full-year count of abortions. 

The rise in abortions, despite 14 states banning all forms of abortion and seven states passing severe limitations on them, continues regardless of the new laws.

The main cause of the increase is the accessibility of telemedicine for mail-order abortion pills according to researchers. 

Many women, mostly in the South, have looked for other abortion methods that are out of the U.S. medical system or are carrying their pregnancies to full term. These women were more likely to be unable to support themselves, teenagers or immigrants.

In the last 12 months, there were approximately 82,298 abortions per month in comparison to 82,115 in the two months before Dobbs, according to research by WeCount. A major increase in legal abortions occurred in states that share their borders with banned states. In New Mexico, the average monthly abortion increased from 61% to 1,910. In Illinois, the percentage increased from 33% to 7,302 and, in Florida, abortions increased from 28 percent to 7,705.

A number of states have placed extra restrictions in the past few months. States like Florida are pushing to ban the mailing of abortion pills.

Article by Astrid Valdez