Supreme Court’s 2022 ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization effectively ended the constitutional right to abortion provided by the 1973 decision in Roe v. Wade. Anti-abortion proponents celebrated the decision and pushed more than a dozen states to institute a ban on abortion in some capacity. But three years later, it is becoming clear that the only thing these abortion bans did was put women in greater danger.
Number of Abortions on the Rise
Anti-abortion activists and Republicans expected that the bans would cause the number of abortions to drop. However, the opposite is happening. According to a recent #WeCount report by the Society of Family Planning, 1.14 million abortions were performed in 2024. For comparison, the figure stood at 715,950 in 2022 and 1.05 million in 2023.
While the majority of abortions took place in person, the number of abortions via telehealth saw a significant rise. By the end of last year, one in four abortions was delivered this way. Due to a lack of options, women are turning to abortion pills, which are prescribed to them by abortion providers in other states. The process is helped by “abortion shield laws,” passed in seven states, including New York and Massachusetts, which give protections to doctors who offer these services.
Women Are Facing Death and Abuse in States with Abortion Bans
According to a report by the Gender Equity Policy Institute, women who live in states with abortion bans are almost two times as likely to die in pregnancy, during labor, or shortly after childbirth, compared to women in states with pro-abortion laws. This is particularly the case in Texas, which has the strictest laws on abortion. In this state, the maternal mortality rate increased by 33% after the ban.
Research from the National Bureau of Economic Research also shows that abortion bans are exposing women to a higher risk of abuse from their partners. According to this study, intimate partner violence soared by seven to 10 percent in states where abortion is banned or restricted. Bilge Erten, co-author of the study, says “more vulnerable women,” including those with less education or low income, are especially at risk. Additionally, the restrictions and lack of financial capabilities to travel to pro-abortion states are forcing them to carry out the pregnancies and stay with abusive partners.
Anti-Abortion Crusade is Far from Over
The true goal for anti-abortion activists is to achieve a near-total ban on all abortions across the nation. It is outlined in Project 2025, which is considered the handbook for shaping the United States in the way conservatives and right-wing extremists see fit. This signals that the anti-abortion crusade is far from over.
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