This new data compiled by the Guttmacher Institute proves just how vital abortion access is.
, a research organization that advocates for sexual and reproductive health, the number of abortions has increased for the first time in 30 years.
The data revealed that in 2020, there were 930,160 abortions in the United States — an eight percent uptick since 2017, where the total amount of abortions was 862,320. The Institute found that in 2020, about one in five pregnancies ended in abortion, which created a six percent decline in births between 2017 and 2020.
When asked to interpret the data and assess why there was an increase in 2020 abortions, the Guttmacher Institute attributed it to multiple reasons — one being that some states expanded Medicaid coverage for abortion care. This is important to consider, because the majority of people who obtain an abortion fall within the range of
, and"this coverage meant that many who would not otherwise have been able to afford an abortion could get care.", the"Trump-Pence administration overhaul of regulations governing the Title X national family planning program," per Guttmacher.
This, of course, is extremely alarming. Because despite the numbers confirming that people are getting abortions and need access to abortions — more so now than in the last 30 years — the Supreme Court is still likely to overturn Roe v. Wade. This means at least