Demand for abortion pills, especially in states with the most abortion restrictions, has spiked in the months following the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, according to a study released Tuesday.
The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) Network conducted and published the study. It analyzed anonymized requests for abortion pills from the nonprofit, online telemedicine service Aid Access over three periods: before the Dobbs decision was leaked, after it was leaked and after it was handed down.
During the periods studied, Aid Access received 42,256 requests for abortion pills from 30 states. The researchers then analyzed the mean rate of requests per 100,000 women aged 15 to 44. (RELATED: UVA’s Sabato Crystal Ball Reclassifies Florida, Georgia Gubernatorial Races One Week From Midterms)
While all 30 states in the study saw an increase in requests for abortion pills, the study found the biggest increases were in Louisiana, Mississippi, Arkansas, Alabama and Oklahoma per week for every 100,000 female residents. Those five states have enacted near-total abortion bans.
The Supreme Court’s decision overturning Roe v. Wade in June appears to be driving an increase in demand for abortion-inducing drugs administered outside of the formal medical system, according to a study released Tuesday https://t.co/3W3EwtB10C
— The Wall Street Journal (@WSJ) November 1, 2022
The study authors claimed the findings of the survey prove restrictions on abortions result in alternative, self-managing abortion methods being sought out at an increasing rate.
“Possible explanations include increased awareness of the service, confusion about state laws, and disruption to in-clinic services following increases in out-of-state patients,” according to the study.