A new study shows at least 32,000 babies were born in states that enacted some from of abortion restriction since the Supreme Court overturned the landmark Roe v. Wade decision in June 2022. The study, conducted by the Institute of Labor Economics, examined the effects of the court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, which returned the issue of abortion to the states.
The researchers found that in the first six months of 2023, births rose by an average of 2.3 percent in states enforcing total abortion bans compared to a control group of states where abortion rights remained protected, resulting in approximately 32,000 additional annual births due to abortion bans.
According to the study, as of November 1, 2023, 14 states are enforcing bans on abortion in nearly all circumstances. It also found that the average driving distance to the nearest abortion facility has increased for 23 percent of U.S. women of reproductive age from an average of 43 miles one-way to 330 miles at present.
Kristan Hawkins, the president of Students for Life of America, praised the research, stating that it indicates a “triumph that pro-life policies result in lives saved.”
However, Alison Gemmill, an assistant professor at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, criticized the new numbers, asserting that they indicate “an assault on reproductive autonomy.”
The study also revealed that the effects of abortion restrictions were prominent for Hispanic women and women ages 20 to 24, with average increases in birth rates of 4.7% and 3.3%, respectively. In addition, the study noted that the geographical disparities in abortion restrictions led to increases of 4.4% in Mississippi and 5.1% in Texas.
Overall, the study presents a detailed and consequential look at the implications of the Supreme Court’s landmark decision last year.