Current:Home > NewsOut-of-state residents seeking abortion care in Massachusetts jumped 37% after Roe v. Wade reversal -EverVision Finance
Out-of-state residents seeking abortion care in Massachusetts jumped 37% after Roe v. Wade reversal
Surpassing View
Date:2025-04-11 05:08:36
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! (42336)
Related
- Newly elected West Virginia lawmaker arrested and accused of making terroristic threats
- Fentanyl-tainted gummy bears sicken 5 kids at Virginia school; couple charged in case.
- 'Thanks for the memories': E3 convention canceled after 25 years of gaming
- Fontana police shoot and kill man during chase and recover gun
- Tarte Shape Tape Concealer Sells Once Every 4 Seconds: Get 50% Off Before It's Gone
- Can Congress fix Ticketmaster? New legislation, investigation take aim
- SAG-AFTRA to honor Barbra Streisand for life achievement at Screen Actors Guild Awards
- Lily Gladstone on Oscar-bound 'Killers of the Flower Moon': 'It's a moment for all of us'
- Appeals court scraps Nasdaq boardroom diversity rules in latest DEI setback
- Indiana basketball legend George McGinnis dies at 73: 'He was like Superman'
Ranking
- Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow owns a $3 million Batmobile Tumbler
- Planned After School Satan Club sparks controversy in Tennessee
- Minnesota man reaches plea deal for his role in fatal carjacking in Minneapolis
- Shohei Ohtani reveals dog’s name at Dodgers’ introduction: Decoy
- Juan Soto praise of Mets' future a tough sight for Yankees, but World Series goal remains
- Where is Kremlin foe Navalny? His allies say he has been moved but they still don’t know where
- Fontana police shoot and kill man during chase and recover gun
- Biden envoy to meet with Abbas as the US floats a possible Palestinian security role in postwar Gaza
Recommendation
Dick Vitale announces he is cancer free: 'Santa Claus came early'
Jury in Rudy Giuliani defamation trial begins deliberations after he opts not to testify
NCAA says a redshirt eligibility rule still applies, fears free agency if it loses transfer suit
Moderna-Merck vaccine cuts odds of skin cancer recurrence in half, study finds
'Kraven the Hunter' spoilers! Let's dig into that twisty ending, supervillain reveal
How will college football's postseason unfold? Our expert picks for all 41 bowl games.
Belgian tourist dies in an animal attack at Mexico’s Pacific coast resort of Zihuatanejo
Bull on the loose on New Jersey train tracks causes delays between Newark and Manhattan