Study claims U.S. abortions rose after Roe overturned

A Society of Family Planning survey released Tuesday shows a bump in abortion numbers across the United States despite rising protections for unborn babies. The survey reported  monthly averages about 200 abortions from July 2022—after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade—to June 2023. That’s compared to the number of abortions in May and June 2022, when abortion was constitutionally protected. The survey also noted that while some state abortion counts dropped to zero, other state counts rose—specifically states neighboring areas with pro-life abortion restrictions. However, Michael J. New,  a research associate at the Catholic University of America, has questioned the accuracy of the survey’s data by pointing out the imbalanced sample sizes between pre- and post-Dobbs data. “In reality, good data show that recently enacted pro-life laws have saved lives,” New wrote. 

What does this say about the effectiveness of pro-life legislation? Fourteen states currently enforce laws protecting babies throughout pregnancy. Other states only protect unborn children after six to 12 weeks or not at all. Lawmakers continue implementing creative protections for unborn babies. For instance, Lubbock County in northwestern Texas adopted a measure Monday criminalizing transporting or financing the transportation of a woman through the county to obtain an abortion. The measure relies on private citizens to file lawsuits against people engaging in abortion tourism to nearby states like New Mexico. The measure does not punish women seeking abortions, only those transporting them. The ordinance prohibits authorities from enforcing the ban, a provision meant to protect against a judge ruling the law unconstitutional.

Dig deeper: Read Elizabeth Russell’s report in WORLD Magazine on pro-life centers functioning in a post-Dobbs world.