Abortions on the rise since Roe reversal thanks to abortion pill spike: report
Recently released data points to a possible reason for the reported increase in abortions in the United States two years after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade and ruled abortion is not a constitutional right.
According to the latest data from the pro-choice Society of Family Planning's #WeCount research project, the monthly average of abortions between January through March was 98,990. The group found between 94,670 and 102,350 abortions monthly, with the national monthly total of abortions reportedly exceeding 100,000 in January for the first time since #WeCount began.
States with the highest average number of abortions per month from January through March included California, New York, Illinois, Florida and New Jersey. The states with the greatest number of cumulative declines in abortion volumes over 21 months were Texas, Georgia, Tennessee, Louisiana and Alabama.
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Researchers connected the increase to a surge in virtual "telehealth abortions" via the abortion pill being a larger share of America's abortion landscape than ever before.
Earlier this year, six states enacted shield laws that allow providers to prescribe and send abortion drugs to people living in states that severely restrict abortion. The average number of these abortions conducted under shield laws from January to March was 9,200.
"In the nine months from July 2023 to March, over 65,000 people in states with total or six-week bans and states with telehealth restrictions have accessed medication abortion provided under shield laws," the #WeCount survey stated.
Michael New, an assistant professor of social research at the Catholic University of America in Washington and a senior associate scholar at the pro-life research organization Charlotte Lozier Institute, told The Christian Post that he encourages pro-lifers to view the #WeCount survey's abortion numbers with skepticism.
In response to previous #WeCount data released in May, the pro-life scholar stated that SFP did not have experience estimating abortion data in the United States before 2022.
Regarding the latest #WeCount survey, New highlighted that the estimates suggest that 20% of abortions are done by telehealth. Still, the pro-life scholar is skeptical of the accuracy of telehealth abortion numbers.
He noted that the survey indicates that 9% of abortions are taking place in states with shield laws. If true, New believes the data from the #WeCount survey should concern pro-lifers.
"Shield laws weaken the impact of existing pro-life laws. There are questions about the constitutionality of shield laws," New stated. "Attorneys general in conservative states are reportedly considering various litigation strategies."
"The best solution would be to elect a pro-life president who would appoint FDA personnel who would prevent the shipping of chemical abortion pills through the mail," New stressed. "President Trump has not made any such promises. However, his appointees would certainly be more receptive to the concerns of pro-lifers than anyone appointed by Kamala Harris."
Pro-life advocates have expressed concern about former President Donald Trump's abortion stance. While the 2024 presidential hopeful has given himself credit for appointing several of the justices who voted to overturn Roe in 2022, Trump and his team have indicated they will not pursue a federal abortion ban.
Earlier this month, the former president's running mate, Sen. J.D. Vance, R-Ohio, told NBC's "Meet the Press" Kristen Welker that a second Trump administration would not "impose a federal ban on abortion."
"Donald Trump has been as clear about that as possible," Vance said. "Donald Trump wants to end this culture war over this particular topic."
"If California wants to have a different abortion policy from Ohio, then Ohio has to respect California, and California has to respect Ohio," Vance added. "Donald Trump's view is that we want the individual states and their individual cultures and their unique political sensibilities to make these decisions because we don't want to have a nonstop federal conflict over this issue. The federal government ought to be focused on getting food prices down, getting housing prices down."
"I think Donald Trump is right. We want the federal government to focus on these big economic and immigration questions," he stressed. "Let the states figure out their own abortion policies."
Live Action Founder Lila Rose wrote in an X post in response to the interview that "If you don't stand for pro-life principles, you don't get pro-life votes." On Thursday, Rose expanded on her position, declaring that "Trump is losing pro-life votes regardless of what I say — because of his own actions."
Students for Life of America President Kristan Hawkins wrote in a Thursday X post that volunteers for her organization have indicated that they will not door-knock on behalf of Trump.
The pro-life leader stressed that "[T]his is the last thing we need right now to defeat Kamala's pro-abortion extremism."
"Call me any name you want, but I will fight to save as many babies as I can with my vote this November ... while still working to change our culture to save all of them," Hawkins said in a Friday statement on social media.
Samantha Kamman is a reporter for The Christian Post. She can be reached at: samantha.kamman@christianpost.com. Follow her on Twitter: @Samantha_Kamman
