The number of abortions in the United States has increased since the Supreme Court allowed states to pass stricter laws for the practice, according to a study released Wednesday (7).
Results of a survey by the Society of Family Planning (SFP), a family planning organization that supports access to abortion, showed a monthly average of 98,990 cases in the first quarter of 2024, an increase compared to the same period in 2022 and 2023.
The organization attributed the increase to greater availability of abortion pills through telemedicine services.
The rate of telemedicine abortions in the country has increased from 4% to 20% since April 2022, the report said.
The Supreme Court, with a conservative majority, struck down the right to abortion in the United States in June 2022, and since then, many Republican-governed states have stepped up regulations to restrict or ban the practice.
However, Democratic-governed states have so-called “shield laws” that give legal protection to doctors who see patients — through telemedicine consultations — in states with restrictions.
“We’re still seeing more abortions per month between January and March 2024,” excluding abortions that occur under protection laws. [média mensal de 89.770 abortos] Compared to the same period in 2023 [média mensal de 86.967 abortos mil]”, SFP describes in its report.
Meanwhile, under shield laws, the report shows an average of 9,200 abortions were performed between January and March 2024, a 16% increase over the same quarter in 2023.
However, the SFP survey found significant declines in states that have enacted stricter restrictions since June, particularly in Texas, Georgia, Tennessee, Louisiana and Alabama.
Currently, 22 states in the US have strict restrictions on abortion. The issue is shaping up to be a decisive one in the November presidential race, creating strong divisions in the country.
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