Abortions for Out-of-State Patients Up in Massachusetts

TOPLINE:

Women from out of state are seeking abortions in Massachusetts at an estimated 37.5% higher rate than prior to the loss of federal abortion rights in 2022, according to a new study published in JAMA Network Open.

METHODOLOGY: 

• Interstate travel for abortion care reportedly increased since the Dobbs v Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision in June 2022 overturned the federal right to abortion.

• Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts (PPLM) provides more than half of all abortions in Massachusetts, a state with few abortion restrictions. 

• The researchers calculated the difference between observed and expected abortion rates had the Dobbs decision not occurred for in- and out-of-state patients at PPLM. 

• They established baseline rates of abortion through analysis of electronic health records from patients at PPLM from January 2018 to October 2022.

• The researchers also estimated changes in the percentage of out-of-state vs in- state patients receiving charitable funding for their abortions. 

TAKEAWAY:

• After Dobbs, PPLM saw an estimated 6.2% increase in the total number of abortions above the expected number.

• The number of abortions among out-of-state residents rose 37.5% over what was expected.

• Most patients were from neighboring states, but some came from as far as Florida and Texas, the latter of which has outlawed abortions after 6 weeks of pregnancy. 

• The percentage of out-of-state patients receiving funding for abortions increased from 8.4% to 18.3%, and rose from 1.9% to 3.1% for in-state patients.

IN PRACTICE:

“As new data become available, methods like ours may promptly identify areas with changing patient needs,” the study authors wrote.

SOURCE:

The study was led by Elizabeth Janiak, ScD, of Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts. Her team reported receiving no funding for the study. 

LIMITATIONS:

The post-Dobbs sample size was only a little over 3200 women. Patient data was limited to PPLM.

DISCLOSURES:

Isabel Fulcher, one of the study authors, is the vice president of data science at Delfina Care, which is affiliated with PPLM.

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