Abortion opponents are trying to deter people from traveling out of state for care

Shefali Luthra Health Reporter Originally published by The 19th

More than a year after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, abortion is almost completely outlawed in 15 states. Yet the number of abortions done in the United States—notoriously difficult to calculate—has by some estimates fallen by only about 2,900 procedures per month since Roe fell.

Reproductive health researchers say the ability to travel to other states has played a major role in people’s continued ability to access abortions. Clinics in states such as Florida, Illinois, New Mexico, Kansas and Colorado—all close to states with near-total abortion bans—have reported major increases in the number of patients, with the majority often coming from out of state. In Florida, an estimate from the Society for Family Planning found that the number of abortions performed in-state increased by about 1,384 per month in the first nine months after Roe fell, a jump researchers and Florida clinicians alike attributed to more patients coming from out of state.

But in places with total bans, some abortion opponents are trying to find ways to limit residents' ability to leave their states to access abortion, relying on novel legal strategies and targeting those who assist pregnant people in traveling for care—moves controversial even within the anti-abortion movement.