Abortions Increased In NJ After Roe Fell, Could Surge In The Future

NEW JERSEY — The number of abortions provided in New Jersey has increased since the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the constitutional right to the procedure, according to a recent study. Findings from the Society for Family Planning show that the Garden State could see a major surge in patients should a border state, such as Pennsylvania, enact a ban.

That could happen as soon as next year, depending on the results of Pennsylvania's gubernatorial election. Gov. Tom Wolf and Democratic candidate Josh Shapiro have promised to veto abortion restrictions. But Republicans hold majorities in the State Senate and House, so an electoral victory from GOP gubernatorial candidate Doug Mastriano could pave the way for an abortion ban.

The Supreme Court struck down the right to abortion care June 24 in its Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization decision. From April to August, the number of abortions provided in New Jersey increased 7 percent — 3,800 in April and 4,060 in August, according to the report.

The Society for Family Planning, a nonprofit that supports research on abortion and contraception, analyzed the number of legal abortions provided in each state from April through August. Abortion restrictions put the procedure out of reach for about 10,000 people around the nation in July and August, according to the report.

"If this trend were to continue for next 12 months, we’d project more than 60,000 people who need abortion care will be unable to obtain it," said Dr. Alison Norris, associate professor at The Ohio State University's College of Public Health.

Here are New Jersey's numbers, per the Society for Family Planning:

• April: 3,800 abortions provided
• May: 3,700 abortions provided (3 percent decrease from April to May)
• June: 3,790 abortions provided (3 percent increase from May to June)
• July: 3,830 abortions provided (1 percent increase from June to July, 1 percent increase between April and July)
• August: 4,060 abortions provided (6 percent increase from July to August, 7 percent increase between April and August)

States that have abortion protections but border states that have banned or significantly curbed access to the procedure saw the greatest surges in recent months. The states with the largest increase in abortions between April and August, by percentage, were North Carolina (37 percent), Kansas (36 percent), Colorado (33 percent), and Illinois (28 percent).

Most of the states in New Jersey's vicinity have recently expanded abortion access (New York and Connecticut) or protected reproductive care (Delaware and Maryland). New Jersey also codified the right to abortion care and expanded protections for out-of-staters. But the battleground state of Pennsylvania remains a wild card.

The Society for Family Planning's report does not indicate the state of residence for abortion patients — only the number of abortions in each state from April through August. If Pennsylvania banned or significantly restricted abortion, it's tough to tell how many seeking the procedure might travel to New Jersey, since New York, Maryland and Delaware also provide potential options for out-of-state care.

But in states that have banned abortions in the last few months, the number of legal abortions dropped 95 percent between April and August, according to the report.

Mastriano has campaigned on his anti-abortion stance, proposing legislation that would ban abortion with no exceptions, even in cases of rape and incest. In 2019, Mastriano said that people who seek abortions should get charged with murder. Read more: Women Should Be Charged With Murder For Abortions, Mastriano Once Said

A week after the Supreme Court overturned Roe, New Jersey strengthened protections for out-of-staters who seek abortions in the Garden State and those who provide or help them access the care. Of the two measures Gov. Phil Murphy signed into law July 1, one prohibits law enforcement and public employees from cooperating with out-of-state investigations seeking to hold someone liable for seeking, receiving, facilitating or providing reproductive-health services in New Jersey.

Additionally, the new law prohibits state licensing boards from suspending, revoking or refusing to renew the license or registration of a professional based solely on their involvement in the provision of abortions or other reproductive care.

The second law prevents extradition to other states for receiving, providing or facilitating reproductive care in New Jersey.

New Jersey codified abortion's legality in January after the passage of the Freedom of Reproductive Choice Act. While reproductive-rights advocates called the bill an important step, they said it didn't go far enough, arguing that out-of-pocket costs maintain barriers for accessing abortions even in states where the procedure is codified into law.

Another measure that would require New Jersey health-insurance plans to fully cover abortions, while appropriating $20 million toward a Reproductive Health Access Fund, remains stalled in the State Legislature. Gov. Phil Murphy proposed a similar measure May 11 in the wake of the Supreme Court's leaked draft opinion on Roe. But it hasn't seen clear enthusiasm among lawmakers, despite Democrats holding majorities in both the State Senate and Assembly. See the bill in the State Senate and Assembly.