More women requested abortion medication as a precaution after Dobbs

Non-pregnant abortion medication seekers climbed immediately after Roe was overturned, study finds

The number of non-pregnant people who sought and secured abortion medications surged following the overturning of Roe v. Wade. 

Those are the findings of a new study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. According to the Austin Monitor, researchers looked at requests for the abortion medications mifepristone and misoprostol from the telemedicine service Aid Access between September 2021 and April 2023. 

During that time, Aid Access received 48,404 advance provision requests. Statistically, more were over 30, had no children, lived in an urban area, and lived where the poverty rate was lower.  The most common reasons for requesting advance provision were to ensure personal health and choice and to prepare for possible abortion restrictions. 

“The demographic differences in requestors of advance provision vs self-management likely reflect structural barriers,” the researchers found. “A key focus for services will be ensuring affordability, visibility, and access for racial and ethnic minority groups and marginalized groups.”