Abortions Rise in States Bordering Those with Bans
In the year since June 2022, the landscape of abortion access in the United States has fundamentally shifted. The Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision by the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, therefore leaving the issue of abortion up to each state to decide on. Within a matter of months, the country saw states such as Texas, Tennessee, and Alabama place almost total restrictions on abortion. However, the bans and restrictions in 21 states have not put an end to abortions, as many other states leave laws in place that allow access to the procedure.
A study by the Guttmacher Institute published in earlier this month revealed that since 2020, abortion procedures have increased in states such as New Mexico and Illinois— states bordered immediately by those with heavy restrictions. A closer look at the data shows that New Mexico abortion procedures between January and June have more than tripled over the past year, a stark increase from the numbers of abortion procedures in 2020. In 2020, about 12% of the national total of abortions were administered in states that have now witnessed full bans. In 2023, by comparison, merely 14 abortions were reported in Texas (Guttmacher). The Alamo Women’s Clinic located in San Antonio, Texas shut down after the state enacted its ban, but has since opened new locations in Albuquerque, New Mexico and Carbondale, Illinois. Andrea Gallegos, the executive administrator in the clinic, estimated that each clinic sees 400 patients a month.
The effort to eliminate abortion procedures still divides the nation, and state laws have continued to change in the year after the Dobbs decision. Wisconsin had a total ban on abortions when a 19th century law came into effect after Roe was overturned. However, abortion procedures began again this week in Planned Parenthoods across the state after a recent court ruling determined the law only applied to “feticide,” not consensual abortions. Meanwhile, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis told CBS that women would not be liable for fines nor imprisonment if caught getting an abortion under the state’s six-week ban, only those administering abortions. The ban is currently on hold while a challenge is being heard by the state’s supreme court.
