United States: New research reveals that Florida’s six-week abortion ban led to a significant decline in the state’s abortion rate, as reported by HealthDay.
Abortions in Florida fell to around 5,630 in May and 5,200 in June, which is 30% and 35% less than the average of the first quarter of the year, according to data revealed Thursday.
Widespread Confusion and Difficulty Accessing Abortion Care
”Our data speak volumes and describe the complete disorder and confusion resulting from the six-week abortion ban in Florida,” said Newyork based Isaac Maddow-Zimet, a data scientist at the Guttmacher Institute, a renowned body in the analysis of sexual and reproductive studies.
“Obtaining an abortion in Florida has become much more difficult, with far-reaching implications for Florida residents who now have to cross multiple state lines to get an abortion at a clinic after six weeks’ gestation,” Maddow-Zimet said in a Guttmacher news release. “It also affects residents of nearby states with total or early gestational bans who previously could have traveled to Florida for abortion care.”
Before the ban, Florida was seeing 8,050 abortions in the initial three months of 2024. April saw a 21% rise; 9,730 abortions were performed before the ban came into force on May 1.
Florida ban also inhibits women in the South from gaining an abortion, the researchers pointed out.
However, after the ban, overall mean monthly abortions decreased by 7% in the USA, with about one-third of the decline occurring in Florida, according to the researchers.
National Impact of the Florida Ban
Researchers reported that in 2023, around 9,000 women crossed state lines to seek the procedure in Florida, with Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Georgia being the most common source states.
Similarly, men and women of Florida may need to travel as far as North Carolina with a 12 week ban, Virginia or Puerto Rico for a medically required abortion, the researchers noted.
Telemedicine and Medication Abortion
The research team observed that medication abortion through the use of pills prescribed through telemedicine probably eased some of the effects of the Florida six-week restrictions.
Looking Ahead
“Our new data on the impact of Florida’s six-week abortion ban yet again demonstrates the ongoing harm that anti-abortion justices on the U.S. Supreme Court unleashed with their Dobbs decision,” said Kelly Baden, Guttmacher Institute vice president for public policy, as reported by HealthDay.
“But this is not the end of the story. Florida voters will make a decision as to how much protection they want for abortion this November. This is a constitutional amendment which once… It does not have the easy path, it needs 60% to pass Florida but it would create a legal avenue under which Florida’s six-week abortion ban and the other restrictions can be challenged and it is a critical step toward ensuring access. ” Biden said.