Women Hit Hardest by Abortion Restrictions

Study Suggests Abortion Bans Have Led to Increased Birth Rates Among Certain Demographics

A comprehensive new study analyzing birth data from 2023 has revealed that abortion bans instituted after the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade have effectively restricted access to abortion for many women. Researchers found that the impact of these bans was particularly significant among specific groups, including Black and Hispanic women, women without college degrees, and those living further away from clinics.

The data showed that in states that had banned abortions, the average distance to the nearest clinic increased dramatically—from about 50 miles to 300 miles. This increase in distance correlated with a 2.8 percent rise in birth rates compared to expected figures in the absence of such bans. The research suggests that as access to abortion became more complicated, many women were unable to obtain the services they needed, leading to higher numbers of births.

Breaking it down further, the findings indicated that for Black women residing 300 miles from a clinic, births surged by 3.8 percent. For Hispanic women, the increase was 3.2 percent, while for white women, it was recorded at 2 percent. This stark contrast underscores how socioeconomic factors can influence access to reproductive health services, emphasized Dr. Alison Norris, an epidemiology professor at Ohio State University. She noted that women who are younger, less educated, and financially disadvantaged tend to face greater barriers to securing abortions.

Published by the National Bureau of Economic Research, this working paper is the first to meticulously analyze the effects of the Dobbs decision—where abortion access became increasingly restricted—with a focus on local birth patterns. Though abortion rates initially declined or plateaued nationwide, subsequent trends have shown a significant uptick in abortions across the country, particularly via telehealth services, which allow pills to be shipped to states with existing bans.

Interestingly, the study suggests that a portion of women who sought abortions remained unable to access them due to restrictive state laws. The data indicates that not all women benefited equally from the rise in abortion access that has occurred since the overturning of Roe v. Wade. “What we are witnessing is a growing inequality in access to reproductive health care,” said Caitlin Myers, an economics professor at Middlebury College and one of the authors of the study. This disparity hints at a "chilling effect" created by the bans, which may have discouraged some women from pursuing abortions altogether.

Despite the overall rise in births, the increase was relatively modest, suggesting that the majority of women who desired abortions were still able to obtain them. Diana Greene Foster, a key researcher at Advancing New Standards in Reproductive Health at the University of California, San Francisco, acknowledged the study’s findings as compelling evidence of the tangible effects of the bans. According to her, the data reinforces the notion that certain women have indeed been compelled to carry pregnancies to term as a direct result of these restrictive measures.

John Seago, the president of Texas Right to Life, expressed his belief that while state-level abortion laws have made notable changes, a nationwide ban would prove to be more effective in curtailing access to abortion. He argued that the present patchwork of laws across the states often allows for loopholes, such as traveling out of state for an abortion or obtaining pills through the mail.

Myers pointed out that prior research has mainly focused on measuring abortion rates, yet analyzing the number of live births presents a more definitive reflection of the impacts of abortion bans. Historical research conducted prior to the overturning of Roe showed that increased distances to clinics were directly tied to rising birth rates.

The new findings also reveal regional discrepancies. In Texas, for instance, significant increases in births were observed in cities far from clinics, like Houston, where the nearest facility is located 600 miles away in Kansas. Conversely, areas closer to such clinics, like El Paso, which has a facility just 20 miles away in New Mexico, experienced fewer increases in birth rates.

Furthermore, the researchers examined appointment availability at nearby clinics, discovering that increased wait times significantly elevated birth rates as well. In locales where women were unable to secure an appointment within two weeks, births surged even more. This suggests that logistical barriers to obtaining abortion services are a critical factor in determining whether women can successfully access care when needed.

While previous analyses corroborate these findings, the latest research underscores the need for attention to the nuanced intersections of policy, socioeconomic status, and accessibility in reproductive health. The evolving landscape of reproductive rights continues to generate critical discussions regarding inequality in healthcare access and its implications on wider societal health outcomes.