Before the Supreme Court ruling, abortions in the United States were restricted to at least 24 weeks. The court annulled this law, which had been in force for almost 50 years, on June 24, 2022, with a right-wing majority. The decision did not make abortion illegal, but since then sovereignty over the legislation rests with each US state. The result was a legal mess.
Abortion is now nearly impossible or widely restricted in 16 US states. In some cases, even rape and incest are not considered acceptable reasons for an abortion – minors can also be forced to carry a child to term. There are generally only exceptions in medical emergencies. However, many doctors avoid the procedure for fear of being sued.
A dip here, a sharp rise there
It is not surprising that these US states are mainly “red states”, that is, those ruled by conservative Republicans. But the supposed victory of abortion opponents seems to be an objective in its own right. New government bans have so far done little to dissuade women from having the procedure. According to a recent study by WeCount, the number has increased slightly across the country since the Supreme Court ruling.
Portal/Elizabeth Frantz The Supreme Court’s abortion ruling leaves a deep divide
While the number of abortions has plummeted in the South and Midwest with the bans, it has soared in US states where abortion is more liberally regulated, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) cited data from WeCount. In the year following the Supreme Court’s decision, almost 115,000 fewer abortions were performed in states with restrictive legislation. At the same time, other US states recorded an increase of 117 thousand.
“Total disruption in the healthcare system”
This trend is reflected in similar findings from the Guttmacher Institute, a research group that also advocates abortion rights. In the first six months of this year, more abortions were performed in US states where abortions are still legal than in the same period of 2020 in all 50 US states combined – 511,000 compared to 465,000.
The data suggests that many patients go to states that still allow the procedure if it is prohibited in their home state. “From a national perspective, it may appear to be just a slight increase,” the Guardian newspaper quoted WeCount vice-president Alison Norris as saying. “But what is really happening is a complete disruption to the healthcare system and people’s lives.” It’s unclear how long now-overcrowded abortion clinics will be able to keep up with growing demand.
Also a social issue
At the same time, according to Norris, one should not forget those who do not have the privilege of access to abortion. Abortions always have a social dimension. The numbers are particularly high where access to education and medical care is poor. And having to go to the nearest state costs extra money.
Women who are unable to travel would have to resort to “clandestine abortions” or try to obtain abortion pills online. To help low-income patients, abortion funds and nonprofits have raised millions of dollars. The Chicago Abortion Fund, for example, has quadrupled its staff and tripled its budget since 2021, he said. The fund supports thousands of patients with travel expenses, hotel stays and child care.
Abortion pill lawsuit
To the annoyance of abortion opponents, since the Supreme Court ruling, abortion pills have increasingly been prescribed to unwanted pregnant women via telemedicine. According to WeCount, these medically induced pregnancy abortions accounted for nearly five percent before June 2022, but now account for more than eight percent of all pregnancy abortions in the US. As interventions outside the country of origin cannot be prohibited, opponents targeted the abortion pill mifepristone and sued for the drug’s approval.
A judge in the “red state” of Texas, appointed by former Republican President Donald Trump, then suspended the approval of mifepristone nationwide. However, this decision was considered unusual because mifepristone was approved more than two decades ago and is considered safe. The case ended up reaching the Supreme Court, which did not make any decision on the matter, but decided that access to the pill should be maintained while the legal dispute persists.
Mexico is following a different path
In Mexico, a neighboring country dominated by Catholics, the opposite development occurred. The Supreme Court legalized abortion nationwide in September. The court declared that the crime of terminating pregnancy was unconstitutional and violated “the right to decision of women and people of childbearing potential.”
The criminalization of abortion is an “act of violence and discrimination based on gender,” he said. According to women’s rights organizations, the decision could lead more women from the United States to seek help for an abortion at the border with Mexico.