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Following the Supreme Court's reversal of Roe v Wade in June 2022, many states enacted stringent abortion bans. Despite these measures, a recent report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reveals that the total number of abortions performed in the US dropped by a mere 2% that year. The CDC report shows more than 613,000 abortions were carried out in 2022, a slight decrease from the nearly 626,000 procedures in 2021.

Interestingly, broader research, including findings from the Guttmacher Institute, indicates a surprising trend: US abortion rates have risen since the fall of Roe. In 2023, the US saw over 1 million abortions, the highest in more than a decade. This trend underscores a stark divide in abortion access across the country, according to Isaac Maddow-Zimet, a data scientist at the Guttmacher Institute. States with stringent abortion laws have seen access become "incredibly difficult," while states with more protective laws have seen an increase in abortion provision.

According to the data, the majority of abortions, similar to the Roe era, occurred at or before nine weeks of pregnancy. A little over 6% took place between 14 to 20 weeks, and approximately 1% at or beyond 21 weeks. Women in their 20s accounted for most abortion patients, with almost 60% having previously given birth.

However, the CDC report comes with significant caveats. Data from four states—California, Maryland, New Hampshire, and New Jersey—was not included, as these states do not report abortion figures to the CDC. Furthermore, some states also lack comprehensive demographic data. Additionally, the report doesn’t account for abortions conducted outside the US healthcare system. Previous research suggests about 26,000 more Americans used pills for at-home abortions in the six months following the Roe decision.

The increase in the availability and use of abortion pills has likely helped keep overall abortion numbers steady. Eight states now have "shield laws" that protect providers who use telemedicine to send abortion pills to patients in states with strict bans. Between April and June 2024, shield laws facilitated an average of 7,700 telehealth abortions monthly in states with total or six-week bans, according to data from the Society of Family Planning's #WeCount project.

The impact of these varying state laws is evident. States with near-total bans like Alabama saw a dramatic drop, with abortions decreasing by more than half between 2021 and 2022. Conversely, states such as Kansas, which border multiple anti-abortion states, performed nearly 5,000 more abortions in 2022 compared to 2021, highlighting the lengths to which women are traveling to secure access to the procedure. Maddow-Zimet notes that in 2023, approximately 168,000 people crossed state lines for abortion care, more than twice the number from 2020.

Organizations supporting abortion access, including abortion funds, have traditionally helped cover travel costs. However, as public outcry over Roe's reversal wanes, many of these funds face financial challenges, which could eventually impact overall abortion access. "We have a system that's heavily reliant on significant donations and overtime efforts by providers and support groups," Maddow-Zimet stated, questioning whether such a system is sustainable in the long run.