Telehealth Abortions Drive Increase in U.S. Abortion Numbers Post-Dobbs
The landscape of abortion in the United States has shifted significantly, with recent data highlighting the growing role of telehealth as a means to access abortion services amidst state-imposed restrictions. The Society of Family Planning’s #WeCount project has revealed a slight increase in abortion numbers, emphasizing the impact of remote consultations and mailed medication.
The #WeCount project report suggests that approximately 1.13 million abortions occurred in 2025, marking a small rise compared to 2024. Although physical abortion clinic visits varied monthly compared to the previous year, telehealth abortions saw a notable rise, highlighting an evolving trend.
Telehealth procedures accounted for over 300,000 abortions, constituting 28% of the total. This method increased from 5% in April 2022 to 29% by the end of 2025, compared to 13% in 2023 and 22% in 2024.
“Across the US, in states that permit abortion and telehealth provision of abortion, there was substantial variation in the proportion of abortions provided via telehealth, ranging from 8% to 44%,” the report stated. “In several larger population states (eg, New York, California, Illinois, and New Jersey), telehealth represents a smaller share of abortions, at 10-13% of all abortions.”
In states enforcing near-total abortion bans, telehealth abortions conducted under shield laws accounted for nearly all procedures. This shift underscores how telehealth options are circumventing traditional restrictions.
Following the Supreme Court’s Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision, which overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022, the abortion totals have remained elevated. Michael New of the Charlotte Lozier Institute explained that telehealth services are significantly contributing to this increase.
“Overall, this #WeCount report provides evidence that stopping telehealth abortions needs to be a top priority for pro-lifers. A recent Lozier Institute report shows that these telehealth abortions are largely unregulated,” New said.
He further highlighted that policy changes following the Dobbs decision are crucial, noting significant abortion increases in states like Missouri and North Dakota due to legislative changes and Medicaid coverage expansions.
Earlier assessments by the Guttmacher Institute mirror these findings, showing a rise in abortions despite new regulations. They estimated 1,126,000 abortions in 2025, a slight increase from 2024 figures.
New pointed out that while fewer women traveled out of state for abortions due to local restrictions, telehealth abortions for women in pro-life states surged. “Overall, Guttmacher’s data indicated that 91,000 women living in states with strong pro-life laws obtained telehealth abortions in 2025 — an increase of more than 26% over the previous year.”
Despite these trends, in states like Florida and Iowa, abortion rates decreased by about 25% in 2025 due to the enforcement of heartbeat laws. However, New cautioned that the rise of telehealth might challenge the accuracy of abortion statistics.
This article was originally written by www.christiantoday.com
