Impact of the Dobbs decision on abortion services from a large tertiary center in Oregon

Abstract

Objectives: Evaluate the impact of the Dobbs vs Jackson decision on abortion care at an academic center in Oregon, a state with no legal restrictions on abortion.

Study design: Electronic health records from patients who received an abortion at Oregon's largest tertiary hospital were utilized to compare the years before and after Dobbs.

Results: Monthly average abortions increased from 57.8 pre-Dobbs to 77.1 post-Dobbs (p = 0.001). This trend was associated with an increased proportion of out-of-state patients (14.3% vs 9.5%, p = 0.004) presenting with gestational duration ≥26 weeks (23.6% vs 3.7% in-state, p < 0.001).

Conclusions: The Dobbs decision resulted in increased utilization of hospital-based abortion care in a protective state.

Implications: This study reflects the critical role of protective states such as Oregon in preserving access to abortion services and the need for continued support to alleviate the impact of nationwide barriers to reproductive healthcare.

Keywords: Abortion; Abortion ban; Dobb vs Jackson; Family planning; Health policy; Public policy; Roe vs Wade.