Study: Overturning Roe Led to 32K More Births

A new study finds that since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June 2022, the United States has seen an increase of approximately 32,000 births in states implementing abortion restrictions.

The study, conducted by the Institute of Labor Economics, found that after the Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization decision, "in the first six months of 2023, births rose by an average of 2.3 percent in states enforcing total abortion bans," leading to an estimated 32,000 additional births.

Comparing data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the researchers described the shift in birthrate as the "most profound transformation of the landscape of U.S. abortion access in 50 years."

"As of November 1, 2023," the researchers note, 14 states are enforcing near-total abortion bans, significantly increasing the distance women must travel to access abortion services.

Kristan Hawkins, president of Students for Life of America, told Fox News that the study's findings are a "triumph that pro-life policies result in lives saved."

Conversely, Alison Gemmill of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health interpreted the data as an "assault on reproductive autonomy."

According to the study, the people most affected by the policy are poor.

"In 2020, approximately 1 in 5 pregnancies ended in abortion," the study stated. "At the time they seek abortions, 75% of patients are low-income, 59% have previously given birth, and 55% report a recent disruptive life event such as falling behind on the rent or losing a job."

Furthermore, the study noted the disparate impact on Hispanic women and women aged 20-24, with birth rates in these groups increasing by 4.7% and 3.3%, respectively. Geographic factors also played a role, with increases of 4.4% in Mississippi and 5.1% in Texas, reflecting the costs and challenges of interstate travel for abortion services.