On June 24, 2022, the infamous Roe v. Wade was overturned.

It all began in 2018, when the state of Mississippi passed a law called the “Gestational Age Act,” which effectively banned most abortion procedures after the first 15 weeks of pregnancy. Soon after the decision, Jackson Women’s Health Organization — Mississippi’s only licensed abortion facility — “filed a lawsuit in federal district court challenging the law and requesting an emergency temporary restraining order (TRO).” The court ruled against this law, arguing against the constitutionality of the abortion ban.

In December 2021, Mississippi appealed this decision to the Supreme Court, which went on to hear oral arguments for the case. Half a year later, the Supreme Court overturned the 49-year-long Roe v. Wade ruling that states hold the right to choose for themselves the legalities regarding abortion. In other words, the overturning reestablished self-governance regarding abortion in each state, ridding any federal mandates regarding the issue.

The Fall of Roe v. Wade: One Year On

During the 49 years of Roe v. Wade, 63 million babies were killed from known abortion cases.

According to Time Magazine, legal abortions are down 96% in states with the most restrictions. These states include Alabama, Arkansas, Idaho, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, West Virginia, and Wisconsin, with an average 265 abortions per month from July-December 2022.

A study from the Society of Family Planning reveals more interesting data since the overturning of Roe. In the six months following the decision (July-December), there were 32,260 cumulative fewer abortions. Monthly, there have been an average of 5,377 fewer abortions.

An increase in telehealth abortions

According to the same study, telehealth abortions have increased since the overturning of Roe. By December of 2022, these kinds of abortions accounted for 9% of all abortion procedures. Before the Dobbs decision, telehealth abortions made up 4% of all abortions in April 2022.

The national abortion rate has witnessed an overall decrease from 13.2 per 1,000 women of reproductive age in April 2022 to 12.3 for the monthly average following the six months after the overturning.

Companies are funding tourism abortion

There are fewer abortions in states with strict laws, but this hasn’t stopped states with looser laws from continuing this deadly procedure. In fact, some major companies are taking advantage of these states. For example, Levi Strauss & Co., Amazon, Apple, Microsoft, Citigroup, and Salesforce are just a few of the corporations that are willing to cover the cost of abortion for female employees who live in states with strict laws. This practice has been coined as “abortion tourism.”

Abortion tourism is encouraged by a corporation’s interest in saving money. It is often cheaper to provide a woman with an abortion and keep her as an employee than to provide maternity leave, especially when considering a woman may choose to permanently leave her job to take care of her child, costing the company time and money to fill her position and train a new hire.

Pro-Life Perspectives on the Current State of Abortion in America

While abortions have decreased in states with strict laws, this is only about half of the country. In many other states, abortions are still protected. In states where abortion is restricted, abortion may still take place through telehealth and chemical abortions rather than a traditional brick and mortar facility.

Chemical abortions are on the rise

In fact, 54% of abortions in the US today are chemical abortions. These do not take place under the supervision of a care provider in a clinic; rather, they are often performed in a woman’s bathroom by herself.

Trauma after an abortion

Having an abortion is a traumatic experience for many women. Now that many women are performing them by themselves, they are also responsible for disposing of their child’s body, adding even more guilt, shame, and trauma to an already distressing experience.

Human trafficking and the abortion industry

In addition to chemical abortions being on the rise, many are illegal and taking place through an underground industry. This industry does not seek the health or well-being of the women it interacts with and is often linked with human trafficking.

Not only is this trade illegal, it’s unsafe and traumatic for women. The risks involved with an unsupervised chemical abortion are numerous. In addition to physical symptoms, women may suffer emotional trauma, such as seeing her dead baby, having to dispose of its remains, and facing post-traumatic stress due to the physical and emotional strains of a chemical abortion.

PreBorn! Network Clinics offer women a safer, healthier, and more fulfilling option. By providing a woman with an ultrasound, for example, gives a woman the opportunity to see and hear her child’s heartbeat. More than half the time, this results in a decision for life.

Abortion Policy Changes: A Year in Review

With the overturning of Roe are proposed policy changes. In a Northern District of Texas, for example, Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk is seeking to fight against chemical abortions. On April 7, he “ruled in favor of the Alliance Defending Freedom group to reverse the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) approval of mifepristone, the first component in the drug cocktail used to kill babies in more than 50 percent of abortions in the United States.”

This ruling has not stopped the production or access to this drug, but it has gotten the attention of medical and legal entities across the US, reminding them that the fight for life remains strong.

Florida’s act

Other policy changes include Florida’s Heartbeat Protection Act, which limits abortions to six weeks. Additionally, 19 state attorney generals (AGs) warned retailers Kroger, Costco, Walmart, and others about selling and distributing abortion pills through mail.

North Carolina and Idaho

In April, North Carolina proposed the Human Life Protection Act, a bill that “aims to protect the lives of preborn babies by prohibiting abortion after conception, with specific exceptions to preserve the life of the mother.” More about this bill can be read here.

Additionally, North Carolina and Idaho are presenting bills to address both abortion and human trafficking. Coined as the Stopping Traffickers and Their Accomplices Act, North Carolina’s bill has been introduced by Senator Ted Budd and “requires abortionists to report suspected trafficking victims. The bill also requires abortionists to undergo training to recognize signs of human trafficking.”

Idaho’s House Bill 242 would make it a felony for minors to travel outside of Idaho for an abortion without parental consent. The practice would be dubbed as abortion trafficking.

Alliance of governors trying to push abortion

On the flip side of these bill proposals and policy changes is the Reproductive Freedom Alliance, a coalition of 21 US governors committed to expanding access to abortion in their states and providing access to the practice for individuals outside of their states. California Governor Newsom led the way by cutting ties with Walgreens after the company chose to stop distributing abortion pills in states with laws banning or restricting abortion.

Along with working together to advance abortion in their states, the “Alliance will share practices, strategies, and resources to protect and expand abortion [and] also work to influence public policy and opinion in hope of expanding access at the grassroots level in other states.” The majority of the Reproductive Freedom Alliance’s funding is provided by the California Wellness Foundation with additional support from the Rosenberg Foundation.

Looking Ahead: The Future of Abortion in America

With the expansion of virtual health care providing a more convenient method of giving and receiving medical services, pro-life organizations also must look into ways they can offer this resource to women experiencing unplanned pregnancies, abortion trauma, and other reproductive health concerns.

Virtual health care benefits underprivileged individuals by providing them with improved access to care, less financial strain, and increased convenience and privacy. However, the rise in virtual care also means women could find themselves without proper care during some of their most vulnerable times (chemical abortions being performed at home, for example).

Given this reality, it is critical that women are aware of the pro-life resources available to them through virtual health platforms.

Pre-Born! provides women with virtual healthcare access, saving them time and money while also sharing the truth about Jesus. Pro-Life Virtual Healthcare is available to women who may not be able to access care and resources because of location, lack of transportation, or other environmental barriers. PreBorn! also offers emergency healthcare for “women who have taken the chemical abortion pill and are seeking support afterwards such as the abortion pill reversal.”

Conclusion

Abortions are still happening. Women are still suffering. Babies are still being killed.

The overturning of Roe v. Wade in the United States has not stopped abortions from happening. Instead, new avenues for this gruesome practice have opened up, leaving many women heartbroken, traumatized, and in need of healing.

PreBorn! gives women an opportunity to experience this healing, compassion, and comfort while also being encouraged to say yes to life for their babies and for themselves through accepting Christ as their Lord and Savior.

You can support PreBorn! through donations and prayer. Every bit counts in the fight for life.