A new study from the Guttmacher Institute, a research organization that supports the right to abortion, indicates that abortions involving interstate travel have become twice as common as they were before the overturning of Roe v. Wade. The study warns that the continued out-of-state travel for abortions may strain clinics in states that allow abortion.
Main Facts
In the first half of 2023, one in five abortions involved someone traveling across state lines, compared to one in ten in 2020, according to a recent monthly study by the Guttmacher Institute on abortion provision, published on Thursday.
The study stated that states bordered by others that impose more abortion restrictions have seen the largest influx of patients coming from out of state seeking abortions.
Illinois led the nation in out-of-state abortions in the first half of 2023, with three bordering states imposing a total abortion ban (Kentucky, Indiana, and Missouri). While abortions overall increased by more than 18,000 in Illinois, the Guttmacher Institute estimates that over 70% of this increase was due to patients coming from out of state.
The Guttmacher Institute noted that for states bearing the burden of new abortions, meeting the growing needs will be a “continued challenge” for providers.
States where abortion is largely permitted experienced less impact – for example, New York saw an overall increase in abortions, but only 7% of that increase was due to patients coming from out of state.
Background
In the 2022 Supreme Court case of Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, the court overturned the precedent set in Roe v. Wade in 1973, which protected the constitutional right to abortion. While states are still able to independently protect abortion rights, many have taken steps to enforce new restrictions or a total ban on abortion. Since last year’s ruling, 21 states have banned abortion or imposed restrictions, according to a New York Times tracker. States bordering others that impose stricter abortion restrictions have reported increases in the number of abortions, but reports released on Thursday clarify how much of these increases are contributed by people traveling across state lines. Some states that allow abortion have sought to implement policies aimed at welcoming patients from out of state. For example, in January, Illinois passed a law aimed at protecting patients coming from out of state from legal actions arising from their home states. Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker said at the time that he hopes to make Illinois a “island of reproductive justice.”
What We Don’t Know
The study says it does not tell the whole story about the impact of abortion bans, and its authors argue that many individuals facing barriers to traveling out of state for an abortion may resort to other options – either remaining pregnant or managing their healthcare themselves. These cases do not appear in the data.
What to Watch For
Florida imposes a 15-week abortion ban, but this ban is subject to a legal challenge. If upheld in the courts, a more restrictive six-week ban will be enforced. Strict restrictions will continue across “vast areas of the Southeastern United States,” according to the Guttmacher Institute, potentially forcing patients to travel longer distances to obtain abortions in the formal healthcare system, especially after recent new restrictions imposed in North and South Carolina.
The Number
The Great
92,100. This is the number of people who crossed the state border to obtain an abortion in the first half of 2023, more than double the number who did so in the first half of 2020, according to the study.
Reading the Future
The 15-week abortion ban in Florida is coming under scrutiny after the 2023 elections – here’s what to know about it by Allison Durkee.
DeSantis signed the 15-week abortion ban in Florida by Madeline Halbert.
Follow me on Twitter. Send me a secure tip. James Farrell.
Editorial standards, printing, reprints, and permissions.
Leave a Reply