Currently, 14 States have banned abortion and approximately two dozen others have imposed restrictions on accessing the procedure since 2020, when Congress overturned Roe vs. Wade. However, it appears that the number of abortions has surged, as indicated by a report from the Guttmacher Institute. In 2023, there were more than 1 million abortions–the highest rate in over a decade, representing a 10% increase from 2020.
The Guttmacher Institute, whose main focus is on sexual and reproductive health, revealed that nearly every other State where abortion remains legal–especially those bordering States where bans are in place–has witnessed an increase in demand for interventions and medications. According to CNN, the authors of the research said, “the drastic loss of access in states with bans has been counterbalanced by monumental efforts on the part of clinics, abortion funds and logistical support organizations to help people in ban states access care through financial and practical support.”
Through medication abortion, women can end their pregnancy by taking two pills, mifepristone and misoprostol, avoiding surgical procedures. This method in particular, has become more prevalent than ever, with an estimated 642,700 cases in 2023, accounting for nearly two-thirds of all abortions performed.
But Guttmacher’s report still represents a sample of abortion providers in the U.S., meaning that it probably underestimates the real number. As a matter of fact, the data do not take into account abortions occurring outside the formal healthcare system or medication abortions provided in the States with bans.
