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Despite State Bans, Abortion Numbers Hold Steady

Telemedicine, shield laws help maintain access across US, despite state-level abortion bans
Posted Mar 24, 2026 9:15 AM CDT
US Abortions Hold Steady as Telehealth Expands Access
Mifepristone tablets are seen at a Planned Parenthood clinic in Ames, Iowa, on July 18, 2024.   (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall, file)

A fresh count of abortions in the US shows something many may not have anticipated: The overall number hasn't really moved. A new Guttmacher Institute analysis estimates clinicians provided about 1,126,000 abortions in 2025, essentially flat from 2024, despite a patchwork of state bans and restrictions following the end of Roe v. Wade, reports NPR. The report points to one main work-around: telemedicine. After the FDA allowed the abortion pill mifepristone to be prescribed without an in-person visit, more patients in states with bans turned to mail-order medication abortions instead of traveling.

States that support abortion rights have helped enable that shift by adopting "shield laws" that protect providers who prescribe to patients living where abortion is outlawed. Guttmacher estimates 91,000 patients in ban states accessed abortions via telehealth last year, while cross-state travel for procedures declined. "The reality is people are getting abortions, people are providing abortions, and the post-Dobbs environment is not stopping them," Drexel University law professor David Cohen told the New York Times late last year, referring to the Supreme Court case that overturned Roe.

Anti-abortion advocates call the trend alarming and are pressing courts and Congress to curb mail delivery of abortion pills, per NPR. Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill, who's leading one high-profile lawsuit, argues that without stricter FDA rules, state efforts to enforce bans are "all but futile." A federal judge is expected to rule soon in Louisiana v. FDA, a case that could reshape how, and where, medication abortions are obtained.

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