Abortion rates have nearly doubled since Dobbs, driven largely by telehealth pill access

Abortion rates in the United States have risen sharply in the years following the Dobbs decision, defying predictions that state-level bans would dramatically reduce abortion access. Data from the Society of Family Planning's #WeCount report show that abortions in 2025 were nearly double the 2021 total, with telehealth-based medication abortion accounting for 29% of all abortions by the end of that year, according to NPR/KFF Health News.

The mechanism behind the increase is the mailing of abortion pills — primarily a combination of mifepristone and misoprostol — by telehealth providers operating out of states where abortion is legal. Organizations such as the Massachusetts Medication Abortion Access Project, led by Dr. Angel Foster, ship pills to approximately 3,500 patients a month nationwide, including to patients in states with abortion bans, according to NPR/KFF Health News. Mifepristone and misoprostol together are described by clinicians as the "gold standard" for medication abortion; misoprostol can also be used alone, though some studies suggest it is less effective and may involve more side effects, including nausea and vomiting.

The legal landscape around mifepristone has been contested. A federal appeals court ruling in early May temporarily made it illegal to mail mifepristone, following a lawsuit filed by Louisiana and backed by 21 other states; the U.S. Supreme Court subsequently put that ruling on hold while a lower court hears the case, according to NPR/KFF Health News. The Louisiana suit argues that the FDA acted illegally under the Biden administration when it permitted mifepristone to be prescribed without an in-person doctor visit, which allowed providers in states like New York and California to ship pills to patients in states with bans.