Current:Home > MyOut-of-state residents seeking abortion care in Massachusetts jumped 37% after Roe v. Wade reversal -Visionary Wealth Guides
Out-of-state residents seeking abortion care in Massachusetts jumped 37% after Roe v. Wade reversal
View
Date:2025-04-24 16:40:09
The amount of people traveling from their home states to Massachusetts to obtain abortion care jumped by over 37% in the four months after Roe v. Wade was reversed by the Supreme Court, according to an analysis by researchers based at Boston's Brigham and Women's Hospital.
After Roe v. Wade was overturned because of the Supreme Court's decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization in 2022, over a dozen states have completely banned abortion. Others have placed strict restrictions on the procedure. Many states that have banned abortion are in the same region of the country, creating areas where it's hard to access such care even by traveling across state lines.
Researchers wanted to "understand how many out-of-state travelers come to Massachusetts for abortion care, and how they cover the cost of care," said co-author Elizabeth Janiak, a researcher and assistant professor in the division of family planning at the hospital's department of obstetrics and gynecology, in the news release announcing the study. Brigham and Women's Hospital is affiliated with Harvard University.
Researchers reviewed over 45,000 abortion care records from a four-year period before Roe v. Wade was overturned to determine what trends existed before the ruling. Using that data, they were able to estimate the expected number of abortions after Dobbs v. Jackson. Then, they compared the data collected in the four months after Roe was overturned to the expected number.
Researchers found a 6.2% increase in the total number of abortions during those four months. However, when they filtered the data by the state a patient lived in, there was a 37.5% increase in how many out-of-state residents were traveling to Massachusetts for abortion care. That resulted in about 45 additional abortions from out-of-state residents.
"We've always had abortion travelers from New England, but now we see that we have people coming from much farther away like Texas, Louisiana, Florida, or Georgia," Janiak said in the news release. "... Because of the large historical dataset, we know that these are real changes and not chance fluctuations."
The study also found an increase in the amount of out-of-state residents who received abortion funding from non-profits and charities that work to alleviate the cost of such care.
Before Dobbs v. Jackson, the proportion of out-of-state residents receiving funding was just 8%, but after the ruling, that number rose to 18%. In-state residents use of that funding increased from 2 to 3% in the same time period. Janiak said that the increase is likely due to the larger costs associated with interstate travel. None of the states bordering Massachusetts have abortion bans, making it likely that people are traveling from more than one state away to obtain care.
"In states like Massachusetts, we know the state government as well as advocates and healthcare providers are very invested in ensuring abortion access," Janiak said. "We hope the data from this study serves as an example of how states across the country that share this commitment can monitor the trends in and needs of interstate travelers."
- In:
- Massachusetts
- Roe v. Wade
- Abortion
Kerry Breen is a news editor and reporter for CBS News. Her reporting focuses on current events, breaking news and substance use.
veryGood! (73764)
Related
- How to watch the 'Blue Bloods' Season 14 finale: Final episode premiere date, cast
- Cherelle Griner Honors Wife Brittney Griner in Birthday Tribute Nearly a Year After Captivity Release
- French officials suspect young people in rash of fake bomb threats, warn of heavy punishments
- Florida GameStop employee charged after fatally shooting suspected shoplifter, police say
- Dick Vitale announces he is cancer free: 'Santa Claus came early'
- French presidential couple attend funeral service of teacher slain in school attack
- Haiti arrests one of the main suspects in the killing of President Jovenel Moïse
- IAEA team gathers marine samples near Fukushima as treated radioactive water is released into sea
- Elon Musk's skyrocketing net worth: He's the first person with over $400 billion
- Florida GameStop employee charged after fatally shooting suspected shoplifter, police say
Ranking
- FACT FOCUS: Inspector general’s Jan. 6 report misrepresented as proof of FBI setup
- Soccer Star Ali Krieger Enters Beyoncé Lemonade Era Amid Ashlyn Harris, Sophia Bush Romance
- Daddy Yankee's reggaeton Netflix show 'Neon' is an endless party
- Marlon Wayans says he is being unfairly prosecuted after being by racially targeted by gate agent
- Senate begins final push to expand Social Security benefits for millions of people
- Georgia jobless rate ticks up, but labor market keeps setting records for numbers of jobs
- 3 are indicted on fraud-related charges in a Medicaid billing probe in Arizona
- ICC drops war crimes charges against former Central African Republic government minister
Recommendation
Paris Hilton, Nicole Richie return for an 'Encore,' reminisce about 'The Simple Life'
Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively Have a Simple Favor to Ask Daughter James for Halloween
Woman whose body was found in a car’s trunk in US had left South Korea to start anew, detective says
Erin Foster Accuses Chad Michael Murray of Cheating on Her With Sophia Bush
DeepSeek: Did a little known Chinese startup cause a 'Sputnik moment' for AI?
Woman whose body was found in a car’s trunk in US had left South Korea to start anew, detective says
Watch: Meadow the Great Dane gives birth to 15 puppies in North Carolina, becomes media star
No gun, no car, no living witnesses against man charged in Tupac Shakur killing, defense lawyer says