Last year, there was a slight increase in the number of abortions performed in Michigan. It was observed that several individuals from other states, even as far as Texas, Tennessee, Kentucky and Georgia, continued to seek this medical procedure in Michigan.
According to the Guttmacher Institute, the US has witnessed a significant rise in individuals traveling out of their state for abortions nationally, ever since the US Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022. In 2023, more than 166,000 US abortion patients traveled to other states to receive care, which is twice the number of those who traveled out of state for the same purpose in 2020.
According to the latest data released by the state, out of the 31,000 plus abortions carried out in Michigan in the previous year, almost 9% were for individuals who were not residents of Michigan. A significant proportion of these non-residents, around 5%, hailed from Ohio, where a 6-week abortion ban had been under consideration by the courts. However, voters in Ohio passed constitutional protections for abortion in November 2023, putting the ban to rest. On the other hand, about 2% of the non-resident abortions in Michigan were from Indiana, which had recently imposed a near-total ban on abortions.
Last year, patients from states with strict abortions laws traveled thousands of miles to Michigan for the procedure. According to statistics, 138 abortions were performed for patients from Texas, 67 from Georgia, 61 from Kentucky, and 32 from Florida.
Between 2021 and 2022, there was a noticeable surge in the number of abortions for non-residents in Michigan. In 2021, 1,665 abortions were performed for out-of-state residents, while in 2022, the number of abortions for non-Michigan residents increased to over 2,761. The figure remained relatively stable in 2023, with 2,750 abortions performed for non-Michigan residents.
According to Planned Parenthood of Michigan, there has been a significant increase in the number of out-of-state patients by three times since Dobbs. Patients are now taking advantage of virtual telehealth centers and having medication abortion pills delivered to them through the mail. Erica Shekell, spokesperson for PPMI, stated in an email on Friday that the number of out-of-state patients will remain triple what it was pre-Dobbs through 2023 and the first half of 2024. Prior to Dobbs, PPMI provided abortions for just over 600 out-of-state patients annually, but now the number has increased to about 1,700.
Doctors will no longer be required to report abortions in the state, according to recent changes in the law. This decision marks a significant shift in policy and has sparked controversy among different groups. The move has been praised by those who advocate for women’s rights, as it removes a potential barrier to accessing reproductive healthcare. However, opponents argue that this change will make it more difficult to track abortion rates and enforce regulations. Despite the differing opinions, the decision is expected to have a significant impact on reproductive healthcare in the state.
Opponents of abortion rights are expressing concern over the fact that the latest abortion report issued by the state of Michigan may be the last one ever. This is due to the Reproductive Health Act (RHA) signed by Governor Gretchen Whitmer in late 2019, which repealed a number of abortion restrictions that remained on the books following the passage of Prop 3. This includes a provision in the public health code that mandated physicians to report all abortions they perform, including any resulting complications, to the state.
In an email statement on Wednesday, Amber Roseboom, President of Right to Life of Michigan, emphasized the significance of the latest state abortion report compiled by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS). According to Roseboom, this report not only sheds light on some important revelations but is also the final one required to be issued by the state. The report highlights an increase in abortions, along with a staggering surge in abortion complications, which should be a matter of concern for those who genuinely care about women’s health.
According to the most recent data from Michigan, there has been a slight rise in both immediate and subsequent complication rates. However, the good news is that the rates of complications remain very low overall, and there have been no fatal cases reported so far.
According to Lynn Sutfin, a spokesperson for MDHHS, the occurrence of immediate complications stands at .5 per 1,000. While this is higher than 2022, it is consistent with previous years such as 2013-2017. It is worth noting that the state does not track the severity of these complications, or whether they result in hospitalization.
In the year 2023, there were 247 reports of “subsequent complications” following abortions. These complications occurred within seven days of the abortion, and approximately half of them were due to “failed abortions.” A “failed abortion” is defined by the state as an attempt at either surgical or medical abortion that results in an ongoing pregnancy, and this is the most commonly reported subsequent complication. It’s worth noting that medication abortion is effective approximately 95% to 97% of the time, while procedural abortions are effective about 98% of the time.
According to Sutfin, abolishing the obligation for abortion providers to report data to MDHHS aligns with the standard practice of most medical procedures.
According to MDHHS spokesperson Lynn Sutfin, women and their doctors have been burdened with unnecessary requirements when it comes to seeking abortion care. These requirements, which had no medical basis, were created to discourage women from accessing the care they require.
According to Dr. Sarah Wallett, PPMI’s chief medical operating officer, the organization has decided to participate in data reporting for WeCount. WeCount is a reporting initiative by the Society of Family Planning that started collecting data following the Dobbs decision. The initiative aims to capture changes in abortion volume by state and month. Additionally, PPMI will also be contributing to the Monthly Abortion Provision Study collected by the Guttmacher Institute. It’s worth noting that both WeCount and Guttmacher use clinic-level data to determine the number of abortion procedures provided, instead of private demographic data. Dr. Wallett believes that reporting private demographic data won’t make abortion any safer, but it may have a chilling effect on patients.
