Contributor: ATTWN Staff
Key takeaways:
- Abortions have increased since the overturning of Roe v. Wade.
- Abortion pill use has skyrocketed.
- Laws and culture need to change to curb abortions.
Abortions have increased since Roe v. Wade was overturned by the Dobbs decision four years ago, something most pro-lifers did not expect. Trigger laws in pro-life states immediately banned abortion after that decision very early on in pregnancy, but every state had to figure out its own laws afterward. Abortion clinics did close and never reopened, yet abortions increased.
According to the most recent data from the Society for Family Planning’s #WeCount project, the number of monthly abortions increased from 2024 to 2025 (the latest data available). Over the course of 2025, an estimated 1.13 million abortions took place, up from 1.11 million in 2024 and 1.05 million in 2023.
Massive Increase in Abortion Pill Use
Abortions were in decline before the Dobbs ruling in 2022 for decades, albeit slightly. It started to rise a bit right before Dobbs and now has continued to increase. Why? Abortion pills.
According to the Guttmacher Institute, medication abortions make up 63% of all abortions. That data is from 2023. It’s likely even higher now. Abortion pills are easy to get, and many places provide them for free or cheap.
Last year, Abby Johnson tested how easy it is to get hold of abortion pills by going through Aid Access’ website. This is the same company that is being sued for wrongful death for giving abortion pills to a man in Texas who used them to spike the drink of his partner, causing the death of his unborn baby. This is not an uncommon occurrence, as there have been several stories of men drugging their partners with abortion pills to cause the termination of their unborn babies.
It doesn’t matter where a woman lives – she can still obtain abortion pills, even if her state has banned abortion from the detection of the fetal heartbeat. Some states have tried to stop abortion pills from entering their borders, but they have not been successful yet. That is nearly impossible to track and enforce.
Interstate Travel
The Kaiser Family Foundation has noted that abortions have increased across state lines due to state laws following the Dobbs decision:
“The travel rate for abortion care across state lines nearly doubled from 2020 to 2024, with Illinois, North Carolina, New Mexico, and Kansas experiencing the highest volume of out-of-state abortion patients last year.”
These patients are past the gestational age where abortion pills could technically be used “safely.”
“There are no ‘safe’ abortions – the unborn baby almost always dies, and the woman is harmed in some way, whether physically, mentally, emotionally, or spiritually,” said Abby Johnson, former Planned Parenthood director and CEO and founder of And Then There Were None and ProLove Ministries.
Curbing Abortion
Making abortion illegal may not stop every abortion since people break laws all the time. It’s true of any crime. Yet laws are needed for a judicious and peaceful society. Laws are not meaningless, and they protect people from harmful actions on a daily basis. They establish boundaries, create consequences, and provide opportunities for intervention.
“I know this much: I would not have had my abortions if abortion had been illegal. People can disagree with that statement. They cannot know my life better than I do. I know the circumstances surrounding my abortions. I know the fear, confusion and pressure I was experiencing. And I know that the law would have mattered,” said Abby Johnson.
If abortion, the intentional taking of human life, were illegal, it would not prevent every abortion, but it would prevent many abortions.
On a cultural level, laws can and should help families through paid family leave at the very least. Women need support, and ministries like LoveLine, a subsidiary of ProLove Ministries, are lifelines for many families.