Source: NC Newsline
States with highly restrictive abortion bans have seen a significant drop in prescriptions for birth control and emergency contraception, according to a new national study.
In the wake of the conservative-leaning Supreme Court’s June 2022 Dobbs decision, more than a dozen states, like Texas, have passed near-total abortion bans which have erased access for millions seeking reproductive health care options.
The University of California Los Angeles study found that states that became the most restrictive experienced an additional 65% decrease in fills for emergency contraceptives compared with states that kept moderate levels of abortion restrictions after Dobbs.
Researchers also pointed to the closures of some family planning clinics and broad public confusion about what options remain legal have also contributed to the declining rates
“For patients that are seeking emergency contraception but can’t get it prescribed or filled, that’s where it matters,” stated Dr. Dima Qato, a professor in the Pharmacy department at University of Illinois at Chicago. “They want to take it, they know it’s an option, and now they’re faced with hesitant prescribers and pharmacies.”
Both groups of states studied – those that passed abortion bans and those where abortion policies stayed consistent – had a similar prescription fill rate pre-Dobbs and both and saw an initial spike following the decision.
However, for the second half of 2023, the prescription rate for emergency contraception in the states with bans dropped from around 20 fills for every 100,000 women each month down to eight fills.
In states where abortion policies stayed consistent, the rate increased following the decision – from 20 to 21 fills, according to the study.
“These findings suggest that efforts to protect and improve access to oral contraceptives are needed, especially for emergency contraceptives in states where abortion is most strongly restricted,” the study authors wrote.
Most sexually active women are using some form of contraception, and about 1 in 9 women rely on family planning clinics to get contraception, according to a KFF analysis.
However, dozens of clinics have closed post-Dobbs – further limiting access for more than 19 million women living in contraceptive deserts, where they may not have access to a health center or providers offering the full range of reproductive health care.
“In the two years since Dobbs, we have witnessed the devastating impacts. Many women, especially those in states with stringent abortion restrictions, have found themselves navigating care deserts, forced to travel great distances to receive essential services,” Xavier Becerra, Secretary of the US Department of Health and Services said in a statement. “These barriers disproportionately affect marginalized communities, exacerbating existing health disparities”.
