Wat-Not Staff
The Guttmacher Institute published state-by-state and national abortion estimates for the period of January 2023 to June 2024 in its most recent wave of data from its Monthly Abortion Provision Study today. Evidence about the effects of the six-week abortion ban in Florida, which went into force on May 1, is included in the most recent data set for the first time. A policy analysis that goes along with the findings provides a detailed examination of the findings unique to Florida.
Decreasing Abortion Rate In US
The Guttmacher Institute, a research and policy organization focused on sexual and reproductive health that promotes abortion rights, released a paper claiming abortions performed in Florida were reduced by more than 30%. In May and June, the state saw an average of roughly 5,400 abortions each month, which is a decrease from the over 8,000 abortions per month during the first three months of the year.
It was anticipated that Florida’s stricter regulations would have an impact on both the state and the surrounding area. More than 1 in 10 abortions in the US happened in Florida before the more stringent policy took effect in May, and it had been a crucial abortion access point for the South in the years before the US Supreme Court’s Dobbs ruling abolished the federal right to an abortion in 2022.
Guttmacher predicts that in 2023, approximately 9,000 individuals left their home states to obtain an abortion in Florida; many of these individuals came from states with more stringent prohibitions, including Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Georgia. The US had more abortions in the first half of 2024 than it did in the first half of 2023, according to Guttmacher estimates, despite recent declines. Last year had the highest rate of abortions in over ten years, but the abortion landscape continues to change rapidly in the US.
Recognizing The Effects OIf Florida’s Six-Week Prohibition
For citizens of states across the region that have their own abortion bans and restrictions, the Florida prohibition has also made access to abortion more difficult. Approximately 9,000 persons traveled to Florida in 2023 specifically to get abortions; notable sources of these travelers included Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Georgia. There is a much lower chance that citizens of these states will be able to receive care in Florida as of May 1. Florida’s 30% drop in clinician-provided abortions in the first month following the six-week ban is noteworthy, but it is not comparable to the state’s more dramatic drops in abortions that followed six-week bans in Georgia, South Carolina, and Texas.
After a protracted period between its enactment and implementation, Florida’s abortion ban went into effect, and a ready network of abortion funds and support organizations was in place to connect patients with services within the allowed time frame. However, rising strain on the capacity of abortion funds could mean that Florida’s abortion support infrastructure is unable to sustain current levels of demand.
Some of the effects of Florida’s six-week restriction have probably been mitigated by the availability of medication abortion through telehealth from providers in states with abortion shield legislation. Since Florida’s six-week statute of limitations does not apply to abortion drugs received by mail from other states protected by shield laws, this kind of care is probably going to remain essential for a large number of state residents.
GIPHY App Key not set. Please check settings