Why Report the Numbers of Non-Pregnant People Prescribing Abortion Medicines

Since the fall Roe v. Wade in 2022, an increasing number of people in the United States buy abortion pills and keep them. only if they need them in the future. This process, called preemption, is part of a variety of strategies providers are using to expand access to abortion pills. It’s also part of a gray legal space that abortion rights advocates see as an opportunity to expand access to abortion. For abortion providers, many organizations include advance planning in their work. For policymakers, advance planning is important for both anti-abortion and pro-abortion lawmakers. Legal experts have highlighted the ways in which advance planning can expand access to medical abortion, as well as change the legal framework for abortion. Other states have removed the “known pregnancy” requirement since then Dobbswhich can make it easier to sue pre-arrangement, the pill, and other medical abortion methods.

So, what do we know about why people get medication early? Researchers from the University of Texas at Austin found that tens of thousands of people order these pills just in case they face an unwanted pregnancy. Before May 2022, when the proposal of the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization The Supreme Court’s decision was leaked, the online telemedicine organization Aid Access received more than 6,000 requests for advance care. After the leak, and subsequent comments, Aid Access received more than 42,000 requests (an average of 118 per day) until April 30, 2023. Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine v. Food and Drug Administration the case, which many feared would reduce access to the abortion drug mifepristone.

These are staggering numbers—clearly showing that when people are concerned about policies and court decisions that will limit their right to an abortion—they are looking for alternatives.

But what are some reasons people might order a pre-order? To better understand what motivated people to order these pills, we conducted several in-depth interviews with people who bought the pills in advance. The trend for people to worry about current and pending abortion restrictions was real. This makes sense, since abortion is currently prohibited or severely restricted in more than half of the states in the US, and because of these restrictions, more than 171,000 people visited for an abortion last year. We also found that people were incredibly internet savvy as they tried to put together a “backup” plan in case they lost access. They wanted to help friends and family. Others likened pre-planning to having a fire extinguisher in your kitchen, or allergy medicine in your bathroom.

But perhaps the most surprising thing is that people were motivated to have a backup plan in case the worst happened. a lot error.

People discussed that because of their life history or other reasons, they knew that pregnancy was not safe, or it was too difficult for them. Most of these people were trying to get pregnant, but because of their health history they were wary of the risks and high-demand pregnancies that could result. This reflects the greater awareness of pregnancy complications since then Dobbs. In our example, people with high-demand pregnancy, people who completed years of IVF treatment, bought these pills in case something went wrong. They bought these pills because they were afraid that if their pregnancy worsened, and measures were needed, their country would deny them an abortion.

And these doubts are not justified. Last year the Supreme Court heard a case challenging whether states could refuse to comply with the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act, essentially deciding whether doctors could allow patients they see bleeding in the ER, without intervention. Researchers have documented how abortion restrictions and fear of restrictions interfere with all forms of medical care. Journalists have written about how people are being flown by helicopter to receive care across governments. Abortion restrictions have delayed emergency medical care for many pregnancies across the United States—and because of data delays, maternal mortality review committees are beginning to understand that number. Dobbs it takes people. ProPublica recently reported that in 2022, at least two women in Georgia died after being denied legal, life-saving abortion care. These women were healthy young women with hopes, dreams and families. Their deaths are the tragic result of abortion restrictions and a medical system that has failed to provide emergency abortion care.

This is the United States after all Dobbs. The US is currently in the midst of ever-changing abortion laws and access to reproductive health. Our findings highlight advance planning as one way to navigate this new territory, and to protect people from the dangers of abortion. restrictions.