Colorado Sees 29% Increase in Abortions After SCOTUS Overturned Roe v. Wade
Since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June of 2021, there has been a shocking and unprecedented spike in the number of monthly abortions in the state of Colorado.
According to a first-of-its-kind study by the Society of Family Planning, there has been an average of 29% increase in the number of legal abortions in the state since the landmark decision.
The study, which encompassed data from July 2022 to June 2023, revealed that Colorado averaged 2,120 abortions per month during that time, a significant increase from previous years. This adds up to an estimated cumulative increase of 5,760 abortions over the course of the year.
But what is causing this sudden increase?
Experts point to the fact that Colorado became a safe-haven for reproductive health care as neighboring states enacted strict restrictions on abortion after the SCOTUS ruling. This has led to an influx of individuals seeking abortion services in Colorado, both through in-person and telehealth appointments.
On the other hand, states with restrictive abortion laws reported a significant decrease in the number of procedures performed.
These states, which include Texas, Georgia, and Tennessee, saw a combined decrease of approximately 69,000 abortions compared to baseline data from April and May of 2021.
The states with the largest increases in the number of abortions are Illinois, Florida, North Carolina, California, and New Mexico. These states serve as access points for individuals traveling from states with heavy abortion restrictions.
On the other hand, states with the largest declines are those with strict abortion laws, showing that these laws are effectively decreasing the number of abortions performed in those areas.
READ MORE:
A FEDERAL JUDGE TAKES AN AX TO COLORADO’S LIBERAL ABORTION LAWS
COLORADO LEGISLATORS MAY HAVE HAD ‘ANTI-RELIGIOUS MOTIVATIONS’
This news is especially concerning given the recent report from the Society of Family Planning, which found that restrictions on abortion have not lowered the overall abortion rate in the United States. In fact, they have only led to a shift in where these procedures are performed, with states like Colorado seeing a dramatic increase in demand for abortion services.
In North Carolina, for example, there was a 31% decrease in the number of abortions following the implementation of a 12-week ban in July of 2022.
And in Florida, the Supreme Court is currently considering a case that could result in a six-week ban on abortion in the state. If this ban were to go into effect, we can expect to see a significant decrease in the number of abortions performed there as well.