Birth Rates Rise Following Roe v. Wade Reversal
A recent study has identified an increase of over 30,000 births following the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade in June 2022. Conducted by the Institute of Labor Economics, the research examined the impact of the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization ruling, which shifted the regulation of abortion back to individual states. As a result, there were 32,000 additional births in states that implemented specific abortion restrictions.
The study reported that in the first half of 2023, states with full abortion bans experienced a 2.3 percent rise in births compared to states maintaining abortion rights. This increase translates to around 32,000 more births each month due to the restrictions. This represents the most substantial change in abortion access in the U.S. in fifty years, according to preliminary data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Diverse Reactions and Societal Impact
The study further revealed that by November 1, 2023, 14 states had enacted almost complete abortion bans, significantly increasing travel distances for women seeking these services—from an average of 43 miles to 330 miles. Kristan Hawkins, president of Students for Life of America, celebrated the study’s findings, claiming that pro-life laws have resulted in saved lives. She argued that media coverage has framed the increase in births in states with restrictive laws negatively, suggesting a bias against these births.
Conversely, Alison Gemmill, an associate professor at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, interpreted the figures as a blow to sexual freedom. She emphasized that significant variations in birth rates at the community level signal major societal shifts. The authors of the study caution that reduced access to abortion services endangers the health and economic stability of affected women.
Implications and Future Outlook
The study highlighted that in 2020, one in five pregnancies ended in abortion. At the time of seeking an abortion, 75% of individuals were low-income, 59% had recently given birth, and 55% faced new adverse life events such as financial instability or job loss. These findings provide a comprehensive view of the effects stemming from the Supreme Court’s historic decision.
Research indicated that birth rates increased by 4.7% and 3.3% on average in affected regions. The impact was particularly significant among Hispanic women and women aged 20 to 24. In states like Mississippi and Texas, birth rates rose by 4.4% and 5.1%, respectively, underscoring the financial and logistical challenges of interstate travel for abortion services.