Current:Home > MarketsMore than 6 in 10 U.S. abortions in 2023 were done by medication, new research shows -Wealth Nexus Pro
More than 6 in 10 U.S. abortions in 2023 were done by medication, new research shows
View
Date:2025-04-13 19:29:56
More than six in 10 of the abortions in the U.S. last year were done through medication, up from 53% in 2020, new research shows.
The Guttmacher Institute, a research group that supports abortion rights, said about 642,700 medication abortions took place in the first full calendar year after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. Medication abortion accounted for 63% of abortions in the formal health care system.
The data was released Tuesday, a week before the high court will hear arguments in a case that could impact how women get access to the drug mifepristone, which is usually used with another pill in medication abortions.
The Food and Drug Administration approved mifepristone for abortions in 2000, deeming it a safe and effective way to terminate an unwanted pregnancy. In early March, CVS and Walgreens, the two largest pharmacy chains in the nation, said they planned to make the medication available to patients as soon as within the month. Both pharmacies told CBS News they had become certified to dispense the pills following regulatory changes the FDA made last year that allow retail pharmacies to sell the pills.
The pharmacies' moves, which came at a time when abortion access has been restricted across parts of the U.S., drew praise from President Biden.
"The stakes could not be higher for women across America," Mr. Biden said in a statement earlier this month. "I encourage all pharmacies that want to pursue this option to seek certification."
The nationwide swing toward abortion pills over surgery has caused anti-abortion rights advocates to sue the FDA over the drug's approval and to stage protests outside of pharmacies.
Addressing Tuesday's statistics, Guttmacher researcher Rachel Jones said the increase wasn't a surprise.
"For example, it is now possible in some states, at least for health care providers, to mail mifepristone to people in their homes," Jones said, "so that saves patients travel costs and taking time off work."
Guttmacher's data, which is collected by contacting abortion providers, doesn't count self-managed medication abortions that take place outside the health care system, or abortion medication mailed to people in states with abortion bans.
Dr. Grace Ferguson, an OB-GYN and abortion provider in Pittsburgh who isn't involved with the research, said the COVID-19 pandemic and the overturning of Roe v. Wade "really opened the doors" for medication abortions done through telehealth.
Ferguson said "telehealth was a really good way of accommodating that increased volume" in states where abortion remained legal and saw an increase in people who traveled from more restrictive states.
Guttmacher data shows that medication abortions have risen steadily since mifepristone was approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 2000. The drug, which blocks the hormone progesterone, also primes the uterus to respond to the contraction-causing effect of another drug, misoprostol. The two-drug regimen is used to end a pregnancy through 10 weeks gestation.
The case in front of the Supreme Court could cut off access to mifepristone by mail and impose other restrictions, even in states where abortion remains legal.
The new research came days after Vice President Kamala Harris visited a Minnesota women's reproductive health clinic that performs abortion services. Her office said it was the first time that either a sitting president or vice president has visited a reproductive health clinic.
- In:
- Health
- Mifepristone
- Abortion Pill
- Abortion
veryGood! (959)
prev:Sam Taylor
next:Sam Taylor
Related
- Retirement planning: 3 crucial moves everyone should make before 2025
- As Climate Summit Moves Ahead, The World's Biggest Polluters Are Behind
- The U.K. considers its 1st new coal mine in decades even as it calls to phase out coal
- Chris Appleton Teases Wedding Day Detail Following Lukas Gage Engagement
- Juan Soto to be introduced by Mets at Citi Field after striking record $765 million, 15
- These researchers are trying to stop misinformation from derailing climate progress
- Taylor Swift and Joe Alwyn Break Up After 6 Years Together
- Here's how to best prepare for winter driving — and what to keep in your car
- Behind on your annual reading goal? Books under 200 pages to read before 2024 ends
- Allison Holker and Kids Celebrate First Easter Since Stephen tWitch Boss' Death
Ranking
- 'Kraven the Hunter' spoilers! Let's dig into that twisty ending, supervillain reveal
- PHOTOS: Cyclones and salty water are a threat. These women are finding solutions
- India pledges net-zero emissions by 2070 — but also wants to expand coal mining
- New species may have just been discovered in rare octopus nursery off Costa Rica
- At site of suspected mass killings, Syrians recall horrors, hope for answers
- Taylor Swift and Joe Alwyn Break Up: Relive Their Enchanting 6-Year Love Story
- Get $141 Worth of Peter Thomas Roth Top-Selling Skincare Products for Just $39
- Russia hints at contacts in progress with U.S. on potential prisoner swap
Recommendation
DoorDash steps up driver ID checks after traffic safety complaints
Get $141 Worth of Peter Thomas Roth Top-Selling Skincare Products for Just $39
Manchin says Build Back Better's climate measures are risky. That's not true
Developing nations say they're owed for climate damage. Richer nations aren't budging
Costco membership growth 'robust,' even amid fee increase: What to know about earnings release
These Portuguese kids are suing 33 European countries to force them to cut emissions
The U.N. says climate impacts are getting worse faster than the world is adapting
Greenhouse gas levels reached record highs in 2020, even with pandemic lockdowns