A recent study of birth data from 2023 has shown that abortion bans effectively prevented some women from obtaining abortions immediately after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. The impact was most significant among specific groups, including Black and Hispanic women, women without a college degree, and those living far from abortion clinics.
Although abortion rates have since increased, particularly through the use of pills shipped into states with bans, the study highlights which groups of women are most affected by these bans.
In states where abortion was banned, the average distance to a clinic increased from 50 miles to 300 miles, resulting in a 2.8 percent increase in births compared to what would have been expected without the ban.
The study found that for Black women living 300 miles from a clinic, births increased by 3.2 percent. The corresponding increase was 3.8 percent for Hispanic women and 2 percent for white women.
Dr. Alison Norris, an epidemiology professor at Ohio State, noted that women in lower socio-economic status groups are more likely to face unintended pregnancies and barriers to abortion care. The study, released by the National Bureau of Economic Research, analyzed local birth patterns post-Dobbs decision in 2022, revealing the impact of abortion bans.
Despite the national increase in abortions, the study suggests that some women were still unable to access abortions due to state bans.
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