TRENDS IN OUT-OF-STATE ABORTIONS IN OREGON FOLLOWING THE DOBBS COURT DECISION

Abstract

Objectives

This study looks at how out-of-state travel for abortion care changed in the state of Oregon following the Dobbs v Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision on June 24, 2022.

Methods

This was a cross-sectional study using data from the Oregon Health Authority (OHA), which collects information on all abortions performed in Oregon. Our sample included all medication and procedural abortions between January 1, 2015 and September 30, 2023. For the post-Dobbs cohort, we compared in-state with out-of-state residents using standard bivariate analyses. We then conducted an interrupted time series analysis to trend the proportion of out-of-state residents following Dobbs.

Results

Our sample included 66,253 abortions. In the post-Dobbs cohort, out-of-state residents were significantly more likely to have a procedural vs. a medication abortion (51.65% vs. 46.7%) and be at higher gestational ages at the time of their procedure. Our ITS analysis estimated that the number of out-of-state residents would increase by 2.61% (95% CI, 1.2–3.93%). After Dobbs, out-of-state residents came to Oregon from 24 US states with a wide geographical spread.

Conclusions

The Dobbs decision increased the proportion of individuals traveling from out-of-state to Oregon for abortion care. These individuals were more likely to have a procedural abortion and to be at more advanced gestational ages. As the post-Roe v Wade abortion landscape continues to evolve, it is important to understand the demographics and needs of those traveling for abortion care.