By Micah Jackson Distribution Manager
A monumental court decision leads to a spike in Telehealth abortions following the overturning of Roe vs. Wade in late July 2022. Between April 2022 and September 2023, Telehealth, services provided by remote consultation, noticed a stark rise in the use of their abortion services after the overturning of Roe v. Wade in late June of 2022.
The Society of Family Planning found that there were a total of 3,650 Telehealth abortions in April 2022 among all states. A year after the overturning of Roe vs. Wade, there were 7,110 Telehealth abortions, twice as much as the numbers from April 2022. This number doubles the very next month. By July 2023 this number skyrocketed to 14,110 abortions. August 2023 sees 14,060 Telehealth abortions and September 2023 notices a slight drop to 13,770 Telehealth abortions.
Roe v. Wade is a court ruling made back in 1973 legalizing abortion up to a certain point in a woman’s pregnancy. This decision set a precedence which has lasted for the past 50 years. Recently this court ruling has been overturned after the case of Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization. This gives the power to legalize abortions back into the hands of the states. As a result, ten states have completely banned abortions altogether, including Tennessee. The state of Wisconsin, however, witnessed a 15 month long period of legal uncertainty. They banned abortions during this time period and re-legalized them by September 2023.
Telehealth offers two options for their abortion services, the first being an abortion pill they can deliver via the mail or hand to you in person and the other being an operation they provide at an on-site clinic. As stated on the AbortionFinder website regarding information about Telehealth, it’s legal to travel outside of your state to get the abortion services you need, especially if these services aren’t available to someone locally.
According to Forbes, Professor Alison Norris stated, “We can’t let the overall consistent number of abortions nationally obscure the incredible unmet need and disastrous impact of abortion bans on people who already have the least access.”
“What we know is that telehealth abortions within the health care system are extremely safe and effective. The safety and effectiveness rates are the same as in-clinic care and in-person care,” Dr. (tjc.org) Montida Fleming, with the virtual health care provider Hey Jane, told ABC news.
Fourteen states banned nearly all abortion services after the overturning of Roe V. Wade. Telehealth allows for a virtual connection to abortion resources, including locating on-site facilities.
Since the ban, restrictions have led to an increase of patients traveling out of state, with the largest influx of patients in California, Illinois, Massachusetts, New Jersey and New York. Nearly 120,000 abortions could have happened in the 14 states banning the procedure.
Telehealth can also be used by those who do not have access to these types of services within their own state. Since the ruling, Telehealth has witnessed a 300 – 400% increase in their abortion services.
