Abortion Bans & Later Terminations: New Data
- New research reveals that in states enforcing near-total abortion bans after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v.Wade, the percentage of individuals obtaining abortions in their second trimester has...
- The research found that approximately 81% of those seeking abortions traveled to another state after bans took effect in their home state.
- Katrina Kimport, a professor of obstetrics, gynecology and reproductive sciences at the university of California, San Francisco, said people understand the consequences of being unable to get care...
States enforcing abortion bans face new scrutiny: Second-trimester abortions have doubled, a stark outcome of restricted access revealed in fresh data. After the Dobbs decision, abortion access faces significant challenges with many individuals traveling out of state to receive the care they need. Moreover, the rise of abortion pills by mail is contributing to an increase in abortion rates.This report, brought to you by News Directory 3, also considers the impact of canceled NIH grants on critical research into the effects of abortion restrictions and the future legal battles ahead. Discover what’s next.
Abortion Access More Challenging After Dobbs Decision
New research reveals that in states enforcing near-total abortion bans after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v.Wade, the percentage of individuals obtaining abortions in their second trimester has more than doubled. The study highlights the challenges in abortion access and the lengths people go to obtain care.
The research found that approximately 81% of those seeking abortions traveled to another state after bans took effect in their home state. Only 3-11% of individuals contacting clinics or call centers carried their pregnancies to term,the study indicated.
Dr. Katrina Kimport, a professor of obstetrics, gynecology and reproductive sciences at the university of California, San Francisco, said people understand the consequences of being unable to get care and will try their best to get it. She added that some people still fall through the cracks.
Data indicates that the number of abortions has increased in recent years, even after the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Association decision. This rise is partly attributed to the increased use of abortion pills received via telehealth. The Guttmacher Institute reported approximately 155,100 people traveled across state lines for abortions in 2024.
According to Dr. Diana Greene Foster, a professor at UCSF, abortion bans have increased the burden of obtaining an abortion, forcing people to travel and spend time away from their families and work.
Foster said that even when abortion is illegal, people will do everything they can to get a safe abortion elsewhere as their needs are too great to let a state policymaker decide for them.
Foster’s research team received a National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant to study the impact of abortion restrictions, but the grant was canceled a few months ago. The NIH stated that the study did not fit its priorities, claiming that research on gender identity isn’t scientifically useful, despite the grant not being related to gender identity.
Shortly after President Donald Trump took office, he signed an Executive Order aimed at dismantling diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs and declared that the federal government would only recognize “two sexes, male and female.” Weeks later, the NIH announced massive cuts in research grant funding.
Foster had planned to use the NIH funding to study how pregnant individuals are treated in emergency departments, following reports of people experiencing pregnancy complications being turned away from emergency rooms in states with abortion bans.
Foster and her colleagues have appealed the decision to cancel the NIH grant.Simultaneously occurring, she plans to use private funding to continue her research.
“It’s extremely frustrating as this work is critically important,” Foster said. “It’s important for the certain debates and judicial questions that will come [up] about thes abortion bans. We have to have actual data to make decisions. we can’t just put people’s health in jeopardy for ideology; we need to understand what the impact will be and mitigate those harms, if there are harms.”
“But I never felt like I was going to stop doing the work,” she said.”I just knew we’d have to be resourceful and find other sources because it’s too important not to do it.”
What’s next
Foster’s ongoing research aims to provide crucial data for future debates and judicial questions regarding abortion bans, emphasizing the need to understand and mitigate the impact of these policies on people’s health.