Apr 27, 2023 - News
Utah abortions hold steady despite 18-week restriction
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When the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade last June, an 18-week restriction took effect while a judge blocked the state's near-total trigger ban.
- Yes, but: It doesn't appear to have significantly reduced the number of abortions from when the procedure was available up to 22 weeks of pregnancy.
By the numbers: In the three months leading up to the Dobbs ruling, the number of abortions per month in Utah ranged from 320 to 400, according to a new report from the Society of Family Planning.
- For the rest of the year, monthly counts didn't go back up to 400, but reached 340 in December 2022 — more than some months before the ban.
- Utah abortion statistics from 2020 and earlier show similar month-to-month variations before Roe v. Wade was overturned.
The bottom line: The steady rate suggests the vast majority of patients seeking abortions already were doing so before 18 weeks, even when that wasn't required.
- Before 2020, a birth defect was the most common reason for abortions after 21 weeks, according to state data; state figures didn't separate abortions after 18 weeks, instead providing totals for 15 to 20 weeks.