Georgians have been having fewer abortions since the state’s anti-abortion law went into effect last summer.
Driving the news: According to the Society of Family Planning’s #WeCount national abortion report the monthly average of abortions in Georgia has dropped by nearly half since a federal judge allowed the law to go into effect July 20.
- Each month in 2022 Georgia reported roughly 4,000 abortions prior to July, but has seen closer to 2,000 since, according to the report.
- In total Georgia saw among the largest declines during the six months following the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling overturning Roe v. Wade.
- Georgia also saw the largest decrease in virtual clinic visits, from 550 in April to less than 10 in August.
Why it matters: The numbers are an early indicator that H.B. 481 — which bans abortions after cardiac activity has been detected in an embryo, generally at about six weeks — has been effective.
What they’re saying: “We continue to provide compassionate abortion services even today,” Kwajelyn Jackson, director of Atlanta abortion provider Feminist Women’s Health Center, said at a press conference last month.
- “But in the face of H.B. 481…we continue to have to turn away numerous patients every day who are in life-threatening and life-changing situations,” she added.
- “Our staff continue to work under the constraints of this law and try to provide as much compassion and care for the people who are coming into our center.”
The other side: In a press release the Georgia Life Alliance touted the #WeCount data, saying that the bill it helped write “has crushed the abortion industry.”
Zoom out: Nationally, the report finds that in the six months after the Dobbs decision, an average of 5,377 fewer abortions have been provided per month.
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