A strict workout plan for medication abortion, a method that has overtaken old-school legal abortions in good ol’ USA, might be given a timeout if a federal court ruling in Texas from Friday becomes the law of the land.
Now, this new data might be puffing up its chest a bit, as it isn’t considering those sneaky folks who get their abortions outside the big, friendly U.S. healthcare system. Apparently, over 6,500 women every month are ordering abortion pills online from other countries. That’s actually more than the total drop in legal abortions! But, it’s still a mystery how many of these pill orders end up with completed abortions.
Introducing WeCount, the Sherlock Holmes of abortion research, a project by the Society of Family Planning, which totally supports abortion rights. They’ve been busy bees, collecting abortion counts from a whopping 83% of clinics, hospitals, and telehealth providers in the country. As for the other 17%, well, WeCount had to put on their detective hats and estimate the changes based on old data and the trends from clinics in the same neighborhood.
And here’s the kicker: abortions also took a nosedive in states with restrictions that didn’t quite slam the door shut. For example, in Georgia, where they give abortions the red card after six weeks of pregnancy, the number of abortions flopped by 40%. (Fun fact: most women find out they’re expecting a little bundle of joy around the four-week mark!) So, there’s that.