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Charlotte Lozier Institute

Phone: 202-223-8073
Fax: 571-312-0544

2776 S. Arlington Mill Dr.
#803
Arlington, VA 22206

Life & the LawMaternal & Public Health

The State of Abortion Reporting in 2024 America: Still Striving Toward a Better National Standard

This is Issue 26 of the American Reports Series. CLI’s previous analysis of abortion reporting across the U.S., Issue 12 of the American Reports Series, can be found here.

Executive Summary

  • In a major shift from CLI’s 2016 report, states’ legislative abortion policies directly correlate to the quality of their abortion reporting, demonstrating a growing politicization behind abortion reporting.
  • In general, states with no abortion limits after 15 weeks simultaneously had low quality abortion reporting.
  • Since the 2016 report, 16 reporting areas enacted more comprehensive reporting standards while six weakened their standards.
  • Unlike for other public health metrics, there is no national mandate for states to collect and report abortion data to one national system which could improve public health research and protect the wellbeing of women and their unborn children.

Introduction

While pro-abortion advocates in the private and public sphere claim that abortion is healthcare, they are doing everything they can to demedicalize it, including advocating for eliminating or loosening abortion reporting requirements in states across the country (i.e. Michigan’s new law removing reporting requirements). While other public health metrics are tracked and mandated to be reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), abortion reporting in the United States is entirely voluntary at the national level. As a consequence, no central repository of abortion data exists in the United States. Researchers, public health scientists, and the public therefore do not know the true number of abortions that occur each year, in part because some of the highest volume abortion states (California, Maryland, and New Jersey) do not report any data through their own health departments or to the CDC. Instead, the public must rely on the pro-abortion Guttmacher Institute’s estimates, released only sporadically, to get any approximation of the total number of abortions occurring in those high abortion-volume states. In 2020, Guttmacher Institute estimated that 154,060 abortions occurred in California and 30,750 in Maryland, which if reported to the CDC would have increased the total number of abortions in the U.S. by 30% (620,327 to 805,137). Michigan, New Hampshire, and North Dakota also do not report any abortion data.[1] The CDC’s 2020 abortion total estimate is 50% lower than the 2020 abortion total that Guttmacher estimated.

Further illustrating the deficient state of abortion reporting is the fact that, in 2021, the total number of abortions states detailed in their respective public reports was 9% lower than the total reported by the CDC and 14% lower for drug-induced (also known as “chemical”) abortion totals. The total number of abortions that occur each year in America, however, is not the only important public health data point that the public does not have related to abortion; Americans also do not know the true number of babies born alive during abortions, late-term abortions, abortion-related complications, as well as abortion-related deaths that occur each year. Even in the states that do report, the quality of data varies widely.

This paper evaluates each state’s abortion reporting requirements and publicly accessible abortion reports (or lack thereof). It is an update to CLI’s 2016 survey of abortion reporting across the country, and analyzes state-wide, regional, and national trends that could inform public health officials and policymakers.

Complete, high-quality, and transparent abortion data should be the goal of everyone who values government transparency and women’s health. Some believe that because so many states have enacted pro-life protections post-Dobbs, there is no need to report abortion statistics anymore. This notion could not be further from the truth. Now that Dobbs has placed the authority to enact protections for unborn children in the hands of the American people and their elected representatives at the federal and state levels, it is more critical than ever to have access to good data so that the impact of those abortion policies can be evaluated. Even the CDC agrees that accurate abortion data is important for public health in terms of measuring unintended pregnancies and tracking changes in clinical practice. The CDC has highlighted the importance of accurate and thorough abortion reporting as far back as 1997 when its handbook on abortion reporting said that abortion data “are very important from a demographic and public health viewpoint.” Consequently, abortion policy must be grounded on the most accurate, comprehensive, and up-to-date statistical information and health data. This paper seeks to enrich the states’ ability to answer that call in a post-Dobbs world.

Updating and Expanding CLI’s 2016 Paper on Abortion Reporting

In 2016, CLI released a pioneering paper titled “Abortion Reporting: Toward a Better National Standard,” which ranked the 52 reporting areas (50 states, NYC, and D.C.) in terms of their abortion reporting laws and published reports. CLI found that states’ abortion reports and reporting requirements varied greatly, and collectively, the state of abortion reporting in America was in disrepair. Much like today, multiple states did not report any data at all. Oklahoma’s abortion reporting requirements ranked first with a score of 77 out of 100, with the seven states that did not report any data at the time tying for last with a score of zero.[2] Since the release of CLI’s 2016 paper, much of the abortion landscape has changed, necessitating a new approach to ranking these states. Below, three factors will briefly be discussed that have both necessitated an update to CLI’s 2016 paper and drastically altered the abortion landscape: changes in abortion reporting laws at the state or local level, changes to the Food and Drug Administration’s drug-induced abortion regulations, and changes in how states are reporting abortion after the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision.

Changes in Abortion Reporting Laws Since 2016

One of the main impetuses in CLI updating its 2016 paper was that, in the eight years since it was written, 22 reporting areas have enacted changes to the abortion reporting requirements, some to improve reporting, and others to weaken. A brief categorization of those changes can be found below and a more detailed table with citations can be found in Appendix A.

Strengthened reporting: Arizona, Arkansas, D.C., Idaho, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, West Virginia, and Wyoming (16 total reporting areas)

Weakened reporting: Illinois, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, North Dakota (6 total reporting areas)

Given the legislative and judicial developments in these 22 reporting areas, CLI sought to re-rank them according to the quality of their abortion reporting requirements and reports.

Post-2021 Changes to the Drug-Induced Abortion FDA REMS and How Abortion Data is Being Impacted

              Another change in the abortion policy landscape that motivated CLI to update its 2016 paper was the FDA’s recent decisions to change its Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS) for drug-induced abortion. FDA ignored its own safety requirements regarding the abortion drugs mifepristone and misoprostol for the purpose of increasing access to the drugs. In April 2021, the FDA announced the temporary suspension of its requirement for women to have an in-person medical visit prior to obtaining a drug-induced abortion.[3] In December 2021, the FDA made that suspension permanent, making mifepristone available by mail. In January 2023, the FDA announced that retail pharmacies (chain and independent) could start dispensing abortion drugs to patients with a prescription from a certified provider if they became REMS certified.[4]

All of these actions by the FDA contributed to the increased use of drug-induced abortion since 2021, though abortions had been on the rise prior to that year, as well. According to the CDC, drug-induced abortions increased by 8.5% from 2020 to 2021. In states that reported 2020 to 2022 abortion data, drug-induced abortions increased by an average of 28% in the states that reported increases from 2020 to 2022. (To see the states’ drug-induced abortion data broken down, see Table 2 in Appendix A. [5])  The significant increase in drug-induced abortions can be visualized by looking at the increases in drug-induced abortions according to the CDC abortion surveillance reports since 2018:

  • 2018 to 2019: 11% increase (222,522 to 247,557)
  • 2019 to 2020: 18% increase (247,557 to 291,890)
  • 2020 to 2021: 8.5% increase (291,890 to 316,604)
  • Overall increase from 2018 to 2021: 42%

With this increasing use of drug-induced abortion, especially by mail, come challenges for reporting and tracking data. The number of abortions by mail cannot be tracked. The number of pills mailed can be tracked, but not the number of women who actually take the pills to induce an abortion. This poses a significant public health issue because it is known that drug-induced abortions are more dangerous for women than surgical abortions. In response to the general increased use of drug-induced abortion and the subsequent expectation of increased complications, some states have enacted detailed complications reporting laws that have greatly enhanced the overall quality of their abortion reports. These states include: Arkansas, Idaho, Indiana, Kentucky, Missouri, North Carolina, and Texas (Appendix A, Table 1). However, only two states’ most recent reports (Nevada and Oregon) document the number of drug-induced abortions by telemedicine and the number of drug-induced abortions initiated in an abortion facility.[6]

The surge and inability to track abortion drugs shipped via the mail has only been compounded by some states’ decisions, post-Dobbs, to prioritize shielding doctors from prosecution who ship abortion drugs into – states that have enacted protections of unborn babies at varying gestational limits (see, for e.g., New York’s SB S1066B, signed into law in June 2023). The impact of the Dobbs decision on the abortion policy landscape will be discussed briefly in the ensuing section.

Changes in Abortion Reporting Due to the Dobbs Decision

After North Dakota’s life at conception law took effect post-Dobbs, the state Department of Health mistakenly decided it no longer needed to collect and report abortion data. But this decision failed to account for the fact that North Dakota’s law has exceptions, which will mean that some abortions, though likely not many, could still occur in the state. The data associated with those abortions are no less important than the data associated with elective abortions.

Still more concerning, while the Dobbs decision is responsible for the prevention of elective abortions in many states including previously high abortion-volume states like Texas, the U.S. abortion landscape prior to Roe v. Wade suggests that abortions will become increasingly concentrated in states with little to no limits on when an abortion can be performed. Recent research on interstate abortion commerce trends and the concentration of abortions in pro-abortion states that border pro-life states, like Illinois, New Mexico, and Maryland support these concerns. As one example, the Guttmacher report titled “Monthly Abortion Provision Study” suggests a doubling of abortions on out-of-state women in Illinois.

Not only does this new trend highlight the need for federal protections for the unborn (as one’s zip code should not determine whether one lives or dies), but the increasing percentage of abortions performed in pro-abortion states means that, due to the current politicization of abortion reporting, the states with the highest abortion totals will likely be those whose reporting is of poor quality (such as Illinois, New Mexico, or New York State) or that do not report at all. This will leave the public, government agencies, and researchers with even less information than they already have.

In light of the foregoing changes, CLI designed an improved scoring method to respond to the changes in abortion legislation at the state level, changes in how abortions are performed, and where the majority of abortions will be performed going forward. This new score design is discussed in the following section.

2024 Methodology

Due to the changes described in the preceding section, a slightly different methodology was needed and therefore used to re-rank states’ abortion reporting requirements and public reports. The first steps of the re-ranking process remained largely the same as those used in 2016. Every state’s abortion reporting statute and administrative rules were collected.[7] After a thorough review of what each state’s statute and administrative codes required in their public abortion reports, CLI cross-checked to see if there were any discrepancies between what states’ statutes required and what their public reports actually included. To address these discrepancies, CLI emailed the respective states’ health departments in an effort to obtain explanations. (To see which reporting areas’ health departments did not answer CLI’s questions, refer to Table 3 in Appendix B.) In some instances, state statutes did not specifically enumerate topics to be included in their abortion reports, but rather said that the reports must include all information included in the form provided to abortionists and sent to the states’ departments of health for every abortion that occurred in the state. This is why CLI requested that states send updated abortion provider reporting forms.

After this initial step, CLI reached out to every reporting area’s Department of Health for an updated copy of the state’s abortion reporting forms. These forms are required to be filled out for every abortion performed and are then sent to the Department of Health and used to compile the states’ public-facing abortion reports devoid of any personally identifying information. For the states that enacted abortion limits post-Dobbs, CLI specifically requested that they send a version of the form that complied with their new laws. In the remaining states, CLI requested reporting areas send any updated versions of the forms sent to CLI in 2016. As Table 4 in Appendix B shows, the statuses of these inquiries were mixed.

After these initial steps, CLI sought to update the 2016 study’s scoresheet used to score each state’s abortion reporting requirements and reports to better reflect the current reality of abortion policy and access.[8] To do this, the new scoresheet removed abortion reporting topics that very few or no states (including those with relatively good abortion reporting requirements) included in their annual abortion reports. These topics include the length and weight of aborted children, the sex of the aborted child, the cost of preparing the report for the state, and the pre-existing maternal conditions of those who obtained abortions. CLI also removed topics/questions that, while important overall, are not critical to surveying the state of abortion reporting in 2024. This included the method of reporting (electronic or paper), the form that the information takes in the reports (tables or graphs), and whether the report can be distributed in multi-media formats. The updated sample scoresheet can be found as Figure 2 in Appendix D.

In addition to removing outdated or less critical categories, new data points were added to the updated scoresheet. These include whether drug-induced abortions were performed in an abortion facility or via telemedicine, the numbers of abortion by month, the name of the facility where the abortion was performed, and whether the information in the report includes data for all abortions that occurred in the state, not just those performed on residents in the state. Topics related to the ability of researchers to access and use states’ public reports with transparent and complete data were also added to the scoresheet. These include the strength of states’ statutes relating to abortion reporting and the completeness of the data. Given the ability of researchers to track whether and how changes in legislative environments are affecting the number of abortions performed in reporting areas and the reality that drug-induced abortion has increased significantly, the added categories sought to reflect a 2024 abortion policy and access landscape. Data points included in the 2016 scoresheet that continue to be of significance, such as patient confidentiality, complications related to abortion procedures, and born-alive data, however, were preserved.

Another major change to the scoresheet was in how CLI scored states’ abortion reporting requirements and reports from 2016. In 2024, CLI assigned two scores: an access score worth a total of 6 points and a completeness score worth a total of 38 points which, when combined, sum to a total of 44 possible points. For scoring purposes, the totals were converted into percentages that represented an area’s overall abortion reporting score. Each category within the scoresheet was worth one point. A half point was assigned to a category if the data was delayed, either in the sense that the data came from previous years compared to the rest of the data assessed in the scoresheet, or in the sense that the data came from the information that the state submitted to the CDC’s annual abortion surveillance report.

The access and completeness scores focus on different but equally important aspects of sound abortion reporting. The access score is determined by:

  • The accessibility of the reports to the public in terms of (1) what the statutes say about mandatory reporting, and (2) the mandatory release of public reports with aggregate totals for different data points related to abortion;
  • The accuracy of the total number of abortions in the report compared to the Guttmacher 2020 Abortion Provider Census (APC) Study (released in December 2022);
  • The thoroughness of data (all data categories with an unknown percentage of abortions less than 10%).

The completeness score is determined by:

  • The inclusion of critical, specific aspects related to abortion: characteristics of the woman, pregnancy/abortion procedure, and provider/facilities.

Following the revision of the scoresheet, every state was scored, and the totals were added up resulting in an updated ranking of state abortion reporting requirements and reports. Those results will be discussed in the subsequent section.[9]

2024 Results of Re-Ranking State Abortion Reports

              Table 1 below contains the ranking and total score for each reporting area CLI evaluated.[10] Total scores range from zero (for the several states that publish no annual report for abortions performed in the state) to 80% or 35 out of 44 possible points. Both the median and average scores were 16 out of 44, or 36%. There were 13 reporting areas below the 25th percentile, 14 in the 25th to 49th percentile, 12 in the 50th to 74th percentile, and 13 in the 75th to 100th percentile.

Table 1 – 2024 Ranking & Total % Scores of 52 Reporting Areas’ Abortion Reporting Requirements and Reports

wdt_ID wdt_created_by wdt_created_at wdt_last_edited_by wdt_last_edited_at Ranking State Total % Score (44 pts. total)
1 nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:46 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:46 PM 1 Arizona 80%
2 nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:46 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:46 PM 2 Oklahoma 77%
3 nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:46 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:46 PM 3 South Dakota 68%
4 nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:46 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:46 PM 4 (tie) Indiana 61%
5 nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:46 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:46 PM 4 (tie) Kansas 61%
6 nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:46 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:46 PM 4 (tie) Kentucky 61%
7 nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:46 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:46 PM 4 (tie) Nebraska 61%
8 nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:46 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:46 PM 4 (tie) Ohio 61%
9 nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:46 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:46 PM 9 (tie) Arkansas 57%
10 nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:46 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:46 PM 9 (tie) Minnesota 57%
11 nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:46 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:46 PM 11 Texas 56%
12 nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:46 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:46 PM 12 (tie) Alabama 52%
13 nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:46 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:46 PM 12 (tie) Idaho 52%
14 nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:46 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:46 PM 14 Pennsylvania 50%
15 nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:46 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:46 PM 15 West Virginia 49%
16 nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:46 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:46 PM 16 Oregon 44%
17 nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:46 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:46 PM 17 (tie) Alaska 43%
18 nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:46 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:46 PM 17 (tie) Utah 43%
19 nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:46 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:46 PM 19 Missouri 42%
20 nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:46 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:46 PM 20 (tie) Georgia 41%
21 nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:46 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:46 PM 20 (tie) Wisconsin 41%
22 nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:46 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:46 PM 22 Louisiana 40%
23 nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:46 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:46 PM 23 (tie) Florida 39%
24 nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:46 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:46 PM 23 (tie) Massachusetts 39%
25 nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:46 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:46 PM 23 (tie) Nevada 39%
26 nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:46 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:46 PM 23 (tie) South Carolina 39%
27 nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:46 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:46 PM 27 (tie) Iowa 36%
28 nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:46 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:46 PM 27 (tie) Montana 36%
29 nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:46 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:46 PM 27 (tie) Wyoming 36%
30 nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:46 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:46 PM 30 Mississippi 35%
31 nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:46 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:46 PM 31 (tie) Colorado 34%
32 nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:46 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:46 PM 31 (tie) Delaware 34%
33 nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:46 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:46 PM 33 North Carolina 32%
34 nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:46 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:46 PM 34 Vermont 31%
35 nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:46 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:46 PM 35 Maine 25%
36 nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:46 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:46 PM 36 (tie) Connecticut 23%
37 nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:46 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:46 PM 36 (tie) Tennessee 23%
38 nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:46 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:46 PM 38 (tie) New York State 20%
39 nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:46 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:46 PM 38 (tie) Virginia 20%
40 nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:46 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:46 PM 38 (tie) New York City 20%
41 nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:46 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:46 PM 41 Illinois 19%
42 nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:46 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:46 PM 42 New Mexico 18%
43 nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:46 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:46 PM 43 (tie) Rhode Island 17%
44 nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:46 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:46 PM 43 (tie) Washington 17%
45 nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:46 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:46 PM 45 Hawaii 15%
46 nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:46 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:46 PM 46 District of Columbia 13%
47 nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:46 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:46 PM 47 (tie) California 0
48 nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:46 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:46 PM 47 (tie) Maryland 0
49 nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:46 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:46 PM 47 (tie) Michigan 0
50 nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:46 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:46 PM 47 (tie) New Hampshire 0
51 nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:46 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:46 PM 47 (tie) New Jersey 0
52 nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:46 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:46 PM 47 (tie) North Dakota 0

Prevalence of Collected Information

              As the total scores among the 52 reporting areas indicate, the quality and completeness of abortion reporting requirements and reports varies greatly. CLI measured how many reporting areas collected each category of information (completeness score) and how many reporting areas satisfied the access requirements. To see those results and the public health importance of each data point according to the CDC, see Table 6 in Appendix C. Importantly, there is not a single category out of 38 possible categories that all 52 reporting areas report on. Of the 46 reporting areas that do report abortion data, there were only three categories that all 46 areas report on (age, state of residence, and abortion method).

Other conclusions from Table 6 include the fact there are only five categories that more than 80% of the reporting areas report on, and 12 categories that less than 10% of the reporting areas report on. This table also shows that in 2021, when drug-induced abortions composed 56% of all abortions in the United States according to the CDC, only two reporting areas’ 2022 annual abortion reports specified whether the drug-induced abortions in their state were performed in office or via telemedicine (Nevada,[11] and Oregon[12]). Furthermore, while research shows that drug-induced abortion poses more of a threat to women’s health than surgical abortion, only three reporting areas report complications that occur at the time of any abortion procedure (drug-induced or surgical), 17 report complications that were documented by a providing center after the procedure, 16 require other facilities to report post-abortion complications, and only 15 reporting areas detail the type of complications that women suffered.

In 1997, the CDC revised its “Handbook on the Reporting of Induced Termination of Pregnancy,” first published in 1978. This handbook was the agency’s way of providing guidance to reporting areas regarding their collection and reporting of abortion data. The Handbook was supposed to serve as a model for use by the states, D.C., and New York City. It laid out the data points that states should collect, the public health reasoning behind collecting such data points, and how best to collect those data points. However, the reality is that in 2024, only three states (Arizona, Indiana, and Kentucky) collect all 14 of the data points that the United States Reporting of Induced Termination of Pregnancy (USRITP) handbook suggested reporting on.[13] There is not one data point that all 52 reporting areas collect, and of the 14 data points the CDC suggests for collection, only 3 data points are reported on by the 46 reporting areas that do report abortion data. For more details on this data, see Table 7 in Appendix C.

Changes Since the 2016 Rankings

While it is difficult to compare the 2024 raw scores to those from 2016 because of the change in methodology, it is still feasible and important to assess the changes in the rankings of the 52 reporting areas.[14] Kentucky made the most progress in terms of its place in the rankings, going from 43rd place in 2016 to being tied for 4th place in 2024. Another state that made vast improvements in terms of their ranking was Massachusetts, which went from being tied for 46th place to being tied for 24th. Similarly, Florida made considerable progress and went from 40th place to being tied for 24th. Nevada and Wyoming were two other states that made progress in their overall ranking for abortion reporting requirements. Michigan had the biggest fall in the rankings, going from being tied for seventh place to be tied for last in 47th place. Other states whose rankings fell from 2016 include Minnesota, which ranked second in 2016 but fell to being tied for 10th, and Illinois, which went from being tied for 13th in 2016 to 42nd place in 2024.

The main change between the 2016 and 2024 reviews is that abortion reporting is now strongly linked to the reporting areas’ attitudes toward abortion. Whereas in 2016 when CLI found that “the quality of state abortion reporting is not strongly linked to other measurements of the states’ attitude toward abortion as measured by its political climate or public policies toward legal abortion,” this is no longer the case. Consequently, abortion reporting itself has become a highly politicized, partisan legislative issue.

In 2024, while most reporting areas (38) had weak reporting scores (<50% total reporting score), 10 out of 14 reporting areas with strong reporting scores (≥50%) also had strong gestational laws (limits at 15 weeks of gestation, 12 weeks, 6 weeks/heartbeat legislation, or life at conception laws). Only four reporting areas with strong reporting scores had weak gestational laws (no gestational limit, no effective gestational limit[15]/24 weeks/viability, 22-week gestational limit, and 18-week limit). Of the reporting areas with weak reporting scores (38 in total), 28 had weak gestational laws. To see the partisan nature of these results arranged graphically, see Figure 1 below. Furthermore, if one looks at Table 1 in Appendix A of the 16 reporting areas that made changes strengthening their reporting requirements, 12 have strong gestational laws and only 4 have weak gestational laws. Of the six reporting areas that made changes that weakened their reporting requirements, five have weak gestational laws and only one has a strong gestational law.

Figure 1 – The Distribution of States by Gestational Laws and Abortion Reporting Scores[16]

Figure 1 Legend:

-4= No gestational limit

-3= No effective gestational limit (either a viability limit or 24 weeks of gestation limit)

-2= 22 weeks of gestation limit

-1= 18 weeks of gestation limit

0= 15 weeks of gestation limit

1= 12 weeks of gestation limit

2= 6 weeks of gestation limit/heartbeat legislation

3= Life at conception legislation

Strong gestational law = 15 weeks, 12 weeks, 6 weeks/heartbeat, or life at conception

Strong reporting score = total score 50% or greater

Weak gestational law = No gestational limit or no effective gestational limit (viability limit, 24-week limit, 22-week limit, or 18-week limit)

Weak reporting score= total score less than 50%

Contrasting with the change in CLI’s 2016 findings on the nonpartisan nature of abortion reporting, CLI’s 2024 review confirmed its earlier findings that reporting areas with the highest abortion rates often had the weakest reporting scores. In 2024, eight of the reporting areas among those with the top 10 highest abortion rates had total reporting scores less than 50%, with three having a reporting score of 0 (New Jersey, Maryland, and California). Furthermore, of the 12 reporting areas with abortion rates higher than the 2020 national average (14.4 abortions per 1,000 women ages 15-44) calculated by Guttmacher Institute, 10 had weak reporting scores. Lastly, of the states with the top 10 lowest abortion rates, seven had strong reporting scores (>50%). To see the full table of reporting areas by abortion rate and reporting score, please see Table 8 in Appendix C.

Implications

The major new finding of this 2024 examination of abortion reporting is that reporting has become a partisan issue. However, the main finding from the 2016 overview of reporting remains the same: the state of abortion reporting in the United States remains poor in comparison to other countries whose data is so complete, voluminous, and accurate that they are used in international records-linkage studies. While a number of states have certainly made progress in improving their abortion reporting requirements, the fact that the highest reporting score in this analysis is 80% demonstrates the critical need for continued efforts toward a better national standard for transparent and quality abortion data. The need is even more pressing as abortion is being demedicalized despite the dangers associated with both abortion drugs and surgical abortion.

While the 2024 examination of reporting requirements showed that a reporting area’s score generally correlates with its public policies regarding abortion and abortion rates, some reporting areas did serve as outliers. The states of Kansas and Pennsylvania have permissive gestational limits. However, both have reporting scores of 50% or greater (57% and 61% respectively), with one of the three placing in the top 10 of total reporting scores. Minnesota was a model reporting area highlighted in CLI’s 2016 abortion reporting review because of the sheer volume and high quality of information that the state shared. However, the state has made changes that will significantly degrade the quality of their future abortion reports. Kansas and Pennsylvania are good models for states that have permissive gestational limits but view abortion reporting as an important public health policy that can aid research and regulation. These two states are showing that good, complete, and accurate public health data can be a nonpartisan issue.

Outliers with life-protecting gestational laws but weak reporting scores (<50%) include Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, North Dakota, South Carolina, Tennessee, and West Virginia.  While many of these states have made vast improvements to their reporting requirements since 2016, all 10 have significant room for improvement and can look at the states with good reporting requirements as models for future action.

Conclusions

Given that the state of abortion reporting remains poor and has become correlated with state and local policies toward abortion, a federal mandate for states to report abortion data to the CDC would be important for ensuring a high standard of transparent, complete, and quality abortion data that could improve public health research and ultimately protect the wellbeing of women and their unborn children. It is highly unlikely that the states that do not report any abortion data, with potential exceptions for New Hampshire and North Dakota based on their current leadership, will start reporting such data in a post-Dobbs world.

In 2022 and 2023, federal legislation titled the “Ensuring Accurate and Complete Abortion Data Reporting Act” was introduced. However, both years the bill never made it out of committee. This or similar policies would be a good step towards improving abortion reporting in the U. S. While the demographic standards included in the legislation are critically important to understanding the demographics of women obtaining abortions, the bill could be expanded to include additional critical information such as complications reporting. Model reporting standards could include all the information found in the Figure 2 scoresheet in Appendix D, as the categories of information included touch on critical public health data points (abortion complications, born alive data, etc.). In addition to potential federal action, all states have the responsibility to pass legislation to improve state reporting requirements. While it will be difficult to motivate states with no or weak gestational limits to do so, it is critical for those who care about public health and protecting women and babies to continue educating lawmakers and the public about the importance of accurate and complete abortion reporting.

Any federal or state-level legislation should mandate the reporting of at least:

  • Demographic information (marital status, race, ethnicity, educational status)
  • Women’s previous pregnancy history (induced abortion, live births and miscarriages)
  • Complications during an abortion
  • Post-abortive complications reported by performing location or another provider
  • Type of complication(s)
  • # of infants born alive during abortions and if measures were taken to ensure the infant(‘s) survival
  • The type of drug-induced abortion – if in-office or via mail/telemedicine
  • The woman’s state of residence (every state should have data-sharing agreements with every other state that reports abortion data)
  • Cross-tabulated age, abortion method, and gestational age data to allow researchers to analyze the health risks associated with different abortion methods and gestational ages as a woman gets older, as researchers know that abortions later in pregnancy and drug-induced abortions are more dangerous for women

All of these minimum requirements respond not only to current gaps in the reporting requirements that presently exist, but also to problems that plague the two victims of any abortion: the woman and her unborn child.

Mia Steupert, M.A. is a research associate for the Charlotte Lozier Institute.

 


Appendix A

Table 1 – Changes Made to States’ Abortion Reporting Requirements Since 2016*

wdt_ID wdt_created_by wdt_created_at wdt_last_edited_by wdt_last_edited_at State Changes Made to Abortion Reporting Requirement: Change Initiated By:
1 nspaulding 20/06/2024 11:20 AM nspaulding 20/06/2024 02:02 PM Arizona Required to report measures taken to save a fetus that survived an abortion 2017 legislation, SB 1367 (now §36-2301)
2 nspaulding 20/06/2024 11:20 AM nspaulding 20/06/2024 02:03 PM Required to report on informed consent process and reasons for abortion 2018 legislation, SB 1394
4 nspaulding 20/06/2024 11:20 AM nspaulding 20/06/2024 02:03 PM Arkansas Required additional reporting of complications 2019 legislation, SB3
5 nspaulding 20/06/2024 11:20 AM nspaulding 20/06/2024 02:03 PM District of Columbia Abortion reporting by facility became mandatory as well as the DOH releasing public reports 2018 law, now §7-231.15 of Code of D.C.
6 nspaulding 20/06/2024 11:20 AM nspaulding 20/06/2024 02:03 PM Florida Standardized reporting to be consistent with the CDC and began reporting by abortion procedure and demographic information 2017 revision by ACHA
7 nspaulding 20/06/2024 11:20 AM nspaulding 20/06/2024 02:03 PM Idaho Required complications reporting 2018 legislation, HB 638, amended in 2019 by HB 64, now §39-9504
8 nspaulding 20/06/2024 11:20 AM nspaulding 20/06/2024 02:04 PM Illinois No longer reporting by county or by # per specific state of out-of-state residents Action by IDPH in June 2023
9 nspaulding 20/06/2024 11:20 AM nspaulding 20/06/2024 02:04 PM No longer reporting by type of facility or complications No formal communication, noted by CLI in 2022
11 nspaulding 20/06/2024 11:20 AM nspaulding 20/06/2024 02:04 PM Indiana Required quarterly reporting, removed requirement to report on viability of fetus 2022 legislation, SB 1 ss, now §16-34-2-4.7
12 nspaulding 20/06/2024 11:20 AM nspaulding 20/06/2024 02:04 PM Required to report complications 2018 legislation, SB 340, that went into law in 2021, now §16-34-2-4.7
14 nspaulding 20/06/2024 11:20 AM nspaulding 20/06/2024 02:05 PM Kentucky Reports were uploaded online, required to report complications 2019 legislation, SB50, now §213.101
15 nspaulding 20/06/2024 11:20 AM nspaulding 20/06/2024 02:05 PM Louisiana Required to report on parental consent data regarding minors 2021 legislation, Act 482, now §40:1061.21
16 nspaulding 20/06/2024 11:20 AM nspaulding 20/06/2024 02:05 PM Maine No longer reporting abortions by marital status, race, or previous pregnancy history 2023 legislation, H.P. 1044, now 22 MRSA §1596, sub§2
17 nspaulding 20/06/2024 11:20 AM nspaulding 20/06/2024 02:05 PM Michigan Repealed all reporting requirements. 2023 legislation, SB 0474 (impacts future beyond 2023 data which will be released later in 2024).
18 nspaulding 20/06/2024 11:20 AM nspaulding 20/06/2024 02:05 PM Minnesota No longer will report women’s reasons for getting an abortion, previous pregnancy history, born alive data, or how abortions were paid for 2023 legislation, SF2995, now §145.4131. Changes will apply to 2023 abortion report (published in 2024) and all future reports.
19 nspaulding 20/06/2024 11:20 AM nspaulding 20/06/2024 02:06 PM No longer will report informed consent data 2022 court decision in Doe v. State
20 nspaulding 20/06/2024 11:20 AM nspaulding 20/06/2024 02:06 PM Missouri Added Post-Abortion Complication Report results to annual abortion report 2017 MDHHS rule change
21 nspaulding 20/06/2024 11:20 AM nspaulding 20/06/2024 02:06 PM Montana Required to report previous pregnancy history, gestational age, and race Unclear what legislation or regulatory action spurred this change, but CLI first started reporting this information for Montana’s 2018 data when it published Montana’s 2018 report in April 2020.
22 nspaulding 20/06/2024 11:20 AM nspaulding 20/06/2024 02:06 PM Nevada Started reporting number of telemedicine abortions 2021 was the first annual report to do so
23 nspaulding 20/06/2024 11:20 AM nspaulding 20/06/2024 02:07 PM Made reports available upon request and reported additional data
24 nspaulding 20/06/2024 11:20 AM nspaulding 20/06/2024 02:07 PM New Jersey Stopped reporting altogether Once the state provided CLI with the state’s 2020 data in August 2022, they informed CLI via email communication that the state was no longer reporting
25 nspaulding 20/06/2024 11:20 AM nspaulding 20/06/2024 02:07 PM North Carolina Required to report several new data points and complications 2023 legislation, SB20, that will apply to the 2023 abortion report once it is released. Now §90-21.81C, §90-21.93
26 nspaulding 20/06/2024 11:20 AM nspaulding 20/06/2024 02:07 PM North Dakota Stopped reporting altogether Published a notice in state’s 2022 abortion report, published in summer 2023.
27 nspaulding 20/06/2024 11:20 AM nspaulding 20/06/2024 02:07 PM South Carolina Required to report abortions by method 2016 legislation, H3114, now §44-41-460
28 nspaulding 20/06/2024 11:20 AM nspaulding 20/06/2024 02:08 PM Required to report on medical emergency exceptions 2021 legislation, SB1 §44-41-460(A)(c)
30 nspaulding 20/06/2024 11:20 AM nspaulding 20/06/2024 02:08 PM Texas Required complications reporting Original additional complications reporting was a result of 2017 legislation, HB13. In 2021 additional complications reporting was a result of SB4, now Texas HSC 171.006.
31 nspaulding 20/06/2024 11:20 AM nspaulding 20/06/2024 02:08 PM Required emergency exceptions reporting 2021 legislation, SB8, now Texas HSC 245.011(c).
33 nspaulding 20/06/2024 11:20 AM nspaulding 20/06/2024 02:08 PM West Virginia Required quarterly reporting and reporting on exceptions to state’s ‘life at conception’ law 2022 legislation, HB 302, now §16-5-22.
34 nspaulding 20/06/2024 11:20 AM nspaulding 20/06/2024 02:08 PM Wyoming Required public reports to be published for the first time 2019 legislation, HB0103, now §35-6-131, 132

*Links to information mentioned in the “Change Initiated By” column are available in the PDF version of this paper. Please see the “Print/Download” button.

Table 2 – Percent Change in Drug-Induced Abortion Use by State from 2020-2022

wdt_ID wdt_created_by wdt_created_at wdt_last_edited_by wdt_last_edited_at State % Change in Drug-Induced Abortion Use from 2020-2022 Data Years and Source
1 nspaulding 20/06/2024 02:20 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 02:20 PM Alabama -13% 20-22, state
2 nspaulding 20/06/2024 02:20 PM bcook 25/06/2024 09:42 AM Alaska +34% 20-22, state
3 nspaulding 20/06/2024 02:20 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 02:20 PM Arizona -13% 20-22, state
4 nspaulding 20/06/2024 02:20 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 02:20 PM Arkansas -78% 20-22, state
5 nspaulding 20/06/2024 02:20 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 02:20 PM California NA NA
6 nspaulding 20/06/2024 02:20 PM bcook 25/06/2024 09:45 AM Colorado +36% 20-22, state
7 nspaulding 20/06/2024 02:20 PM bcook 25/06/2024 09:47 AM Connecticut +74% 20-21, state
8 nspaulding 20/06/2024 02:20 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 02:20 PM Delaware -18% 20-21, state
9 nspaulding 20/06/2024 02:20 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 02:20 PM D.C. -15% 20-21, CDC
10 nspaulding 20/06/2024 02:20 PM bcook 25/06/2024 09:50 AM Florida +9% 20-22, state
11 nspaulding 20/06/2024 02:20 PM bcook 25/06/2024 09:51 AM Georgia +15% 20-21, CDC
12 nspaulding 20/06/2024 02:20 PM bcook 25/06/2024 09:51 AM Hawaii +40% 20-21, CDC
13 nspaulding 20/06/2024 02:20 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 02:20 PM Idaho -26% 20-22, state
14 nspaulding 20/06/2024 02:20 PM bcook 25/06/2024 09:51 AM Illinois +35% 20-22, state
15 nspaulding 20/06/2024 02:20 PM bcook 25/06/2024 09:52 AM Indiana +19% 20-22, state
16 nspaulding 20/06/2024 02:20 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 02:20 PM Iowa -7% 20-22, state
17 nspaulding 20/06/2024 02:20 PM bcook 25/06/2024 09:52 AM Kansas +45% 20-22, state
18 nspaulding 20/06/2024 02:20 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 02:20 PM Kentucky -40% 20-22, state
19 nspaulding 20/06/2024 02:20 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 02:20 PM Louisiana NA 20-22, state
20 nspaulding 20/06/2024 02:20 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 02:20 PM Maine -3% 20-22, state
21 nspaulding 20/06/2024 02:20 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 02:20 PM Maryland NA NA
22 nspaulding 20/06/2024 02:20 PM bcook 25/06/2024 09:53 AM Massachusetts +19% 20-22, state
23 nspaulding 20/06/2024 02:20 PM bcook 25/06/2024 09:53 AM Michigan +2% 20-22, state
24 nspaulding 20/06/2024 02:20 PM bcook 25/06/2024 09:53 AM Minnesota +30% 20-22, state
25 nspaulding 20/06/2024 02:20 PM bcook 25/06/2024 09:54 AM Mississippi +12% 20-21, state
26 nspaulding 20/06/2024 02:20 PM bcook 25/06/2024 09:54 AM Missouri +5% 20-21, state
27 nspaulding 20/06/2024 02:20 PM bcook 25/06/2024 09:54 AM Montana +20% 20-21, state
28 nspaulding 20/06/2024 02:20 PM bcook 25/06/2024 09:55 AM Nebraska +11% 20-22, state
29 nspaulding 20/06/2024 02:20 PM bcook 25/06/2024 09:55 AM Nevada +1% 20-21, state
30 nspaulding 20/06/2024 02:20 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 02:20 PM New Hampshire NA NA
31 nspaulding 20/06/2024 02:20 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 02:20 PM New Jersey NA NA
32 nspaulding 20/06/2024 02:20 PM bcook 25/06/2024 09:55 AM New Mexico +2% 20-21, CDC
33 nspaulding 20/06/2024 02:20 PM bcook 25/06/2024 10:16 AM New York City +2% 20-21, CDC
34 nspaulding 20/06/2024 02:20 PM bcook 25/06/2024 10:17 AM New York State (excl. NYC) +2% 20-21, CDC
35 nspaulding 20/06/2024 02:20 PM bcook 25/06/2024 10:17 AM North Carolina +21% 20-21, CDC
36 nspaulding 20/06/2024 02:20 PM bcook 25/06/2024 10:26 AM North Dakota -47% 20-22, state
37 nspaulding 20/06/2024 02:20 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 02:20 PM Ohio -6% 20-22, state
38 nspaulding 20/06/2024 02:20 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 02:20 PM Oklahoma -69% 20-22, state
39 nspaulding 20/06/2024 02:20 PM bcook 25/06/2024 10:17 AM Oregon +33% 20-22, state
40 nspaulding 20/06/2024 02:20 PM bcook 25/06/2024 10:18 AM Pennsylvania +16% 20-22, state
41 nspaulding 20/06/2024 02:20 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 02:20 PM Rhode Island -17% 20-21, CDC
42 nspaulding 20/06/2024 02:20 PM bcook 25/06/2024 10:18 AM South Carolina +41% 20-22, state
43 nspaulding 20/06/2024 02:20 PM bcook 25/06/2024 10:18 AM South Dakota +2% 20-22, state
44 nspaulding 20/06/2024 02:20 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 02:20 PM Tennessee NA NA
45 nspaulding 20/06/2024 02:20 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 02:20 PM Texas -54% 20-22, state
46 nspaulding 20/06/2024 02:20 PM bcook 25/06/2024 10:19 AM Utah +94% 20-21, CDC
47 nspaulding 20/06/2024 02:20 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 02:20 PM Vermont -20% 20-21, state
48 nspaulding 20/06/2024 02:20 PM bcook 25/06/2024 10:19 AM Virginia +23% 20-21, CDC
49 nspaulding 20/06/2024 02:20 PM bcook 25/06/2024 10:19 AM Washington +4% 20-21, CDC
50 nspaulding 20/06/2024 02:20 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 02:20 PM West Virginia -22% 20-22, state
51 nspaulding 20/06/2024 02:20 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 02:20 PM Wisconsin -53% 20-22, state resident data only
52 nspaulding 20/06/2024 02:20 PM bcook 25/06/2024 10:19 AM Wyoming +127% 20-22, state

Appendix B

Table 3 – Status of CLI’s Requests to State Health Departments with Discrepancies Between Mandated Reporting of Data in Statute and Data Included in Reports

wdt_ID wdt_created_by wdt_created_at wdt_last_edited_by wdt_last_edited_at State Discrepancy Between Statute's Mandated Data versus Published Report (Missing Data) Status of Request
1 nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:10 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:10 PM Louisiana Complications data, previous pregnancy history data, education, contraception, ultrasound, parental consent data regarding minors for 2022 No answer
2 nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:10 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:10 PM West Virginia Informed consent data No answer
3 nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:10 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:10 PM Wyoming Telemedicine No answer

Table 4 – Status of Requests to State and Local Health Departments for Updated Abortion Reporting Forms

wdt_ID wdt_created_by wdt_created_at wdt_last_edited_by wdt_last_edited_at State Status of forms Form last updated Notes*
1 nspaulding 20/06/2024 02:29 PM bcook 25/06/2024 10:30 AM Alabama Current 2012 DPH said no plans to change the form despite change of law after Dobbs decision
2 nspaulding 20/06/2024 02:29 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 02:29 PM Alaska Current 2024
3 nspaulding 20/06/2024 02:29 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 02:29 PM Arizona Current 2023
4 nspaulding 20/06/2024 02:29 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 02:29 PM Arkansas Denied request 2015 DOH said office doesn't send out forms for confidentiality reasons
5 nspaulding 20/06/2024 02:29 PM bcook 25/06/2024 10:39 AM California Doesn't report N/A N/A
6 nspaulding 20/06/2024 02:29 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 02:29 PM Colorado Current 2003
7 nspaulding 20/06/2024 02:29 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 02:29 PM Connecticut Requested 2007 No response from DPH; last form provided to CLI said the form was updated in 2007
8 nspaulding 20/06/2024 02:29 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 02:29 PM Delaware Requested 2018 No response from DHS; last report with a sample form was from 2018
9 nspaulding 20/06/2024 02:29 PM bcook 25/06/2024 10:39 AM D.C. Requested N/A No form available; never received a form in 2016 or 2023 after requesting for this and initial CLI paper
10 nspaulding 20/06/2024 02:29 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 02:29 PM Florida Current 2022
11 nspaulding 20/06/2024 02:29 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 02:29 PM Georgia Requested 2014 No response from DPH
12 nspaulding 20/06/2024 02:29 PM bcook 25/06/2024 10:39 AM Hawaii Requested N/A No form available; never received a form in 2016 or 2023
13 nspaulding 20/06/2024 02:29 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 02:29 PM Idaho Current 2019
14 nspaulding 20/06/2024 02:29 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 02:29 PM Illinois Requested 2020 No response from DPH; last report with sample form was from 2020
15 nspaulding 20/06/2024 02:29 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 02:29 PM Indiana Current 2023
16 nspaulding 20/06/2024 02:29 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 02:29 PM Iowa Current 2017
17 nspaulding 20/06/2024 02:29 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 02:29 PM Kansas Current 2023
18 nspaulding 20/06/2024 02:29 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 02:29 PM Kentucky Current 2022
19 nspaulding 20/06/2024 02:29 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 02:29 PM Louisiana Current 2004
20 nspaulding 20/06/2024 02:29 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 02:29 PM Maine Requested 2018 No response from DHHS; last form given to CLI was from 2018
21 nspaulding 20/06/2024 02:29 PM bcook 25/06/2024 10:40 AM Maryland Doesn't report N/A N/A
22 nspaulding 20/06/2024 02:29 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 02:29 PM Massachusetts Current 2023
23 nspaulding 20/06/2024 02:29 PM bcook 25/06/2024 10:41 AM Michigan Doesn’t Report N/A  N/A
24 nspaulding 20/06/2024 02:29 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 02:29 PM Minnesota Current 2022 Form will most likely change for 2023 data because of legislative changes; the form used in this paper reflects what physicians saw in 2022
25 nspaulding 20/06/2024 02:29 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 02:29 PM Mississippi Current 2022
26 nspaulding 20/06/2024 02:29 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 02:29 PM Missouri Current 2022
27 nspaulding 20/06/2024 02:29 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 02:29 PM Montana Current 2007 DPH said that the form has been the same since 2007
28 nspaulding 20/06/2024 02:29 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 02:29 PM Nebraska Requested 2011
29 nspaulding 20/06/2024 02:29 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 02:29 PM Nevada Request Denied 2009 DPBH said the office didn't have access to form; last form given to CLI was sent in 2018 and last updated in 2009
30 nspaulding 20/06/2024 02:29 PM bcook 25/06/2024 10:41 AM New Hampshire Doesn't report N/A N/A
31 nspaulding 20/06/2024 02:29 PM bcook 25/06/2024 10:41 AM New Jersey Doesn't report N/A N/A
32 nspaulding 20/06/2024 02:29 PM bcook 25/06/2024 10:41 AM New Mexico Requested N/A No response from DOH; last form that CLI had a copy of did not have a date on it
33 nspaulding 20/06/2024 02:29 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 02:29 PM New York City Requested 2013 No response from DOHMH; last form given to CLI said it was last updated in 2013
34 nspaulding 20/06/2024 02:29 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 02:29 PM New York State (excl. NYC) Requested 2007 No response from DOH ; last form that was sent to CLI in 2018 was last updated in 2007
35 nspaulding 20/06/2024 02:29 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 02:29 PM North Carolina Current 2023
36 nspaulding 20/06/2024 02:29 PM bcook 25/06/2024 10:41 AM North Dakota Doesn’t report N/A N/A
37 nspaulding 20/06/2024 02:29 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 02:29 PM Ohio Current 2022
38 nspaulding 20/06/2024 02:29 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 02:29 PM Oklahoma Current 2021
39 nspaulding 20/06/2024 02:29 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 02:29 PM Oregon Current 2015
40 nspaulding 20/06/2024 02:29 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 02:29 PM Pennsylvania Request denied 2010 DHS said the form couldn't be given out for confidentiality reasons; form that is available online says it was last updated in 2010
41 nspaulding 20/06/2024 02:29 PM bcook 25/06/2024 10:42 AM Rhode Island Requested N/A No form available; never received a form in 2016 or 2023
42 nspaulding 20/06/2024 02:29 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 02:29 PM South Carolina Requested 2017 No response from DHEC; form that was included in last report for 2022 data (released in 2023) was updated in 2017
43 nspaulding 20/06/2024 02:29 PM bcook 25/06/2024 10:42 AM South Dakota Requested N/A No response from DOH; last report for 2022 data (released in 2023) does not have a date on it
44 nspaulding 20/06/2024 02:29 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 02:29 PM Tennessee Requested 2018 No response from DOH; last form sent to CLI was updated in 2018
45 nspaulding 20/06/2024 02:29 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 02:29 PM Texas Current 2023
46 nspaulding 20/06/2024 02:29 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 02:29 PM Utah Current 2023
47 nspaulding 20/06/2024 02:29 PM bcook 25/06/2024 10:42 AM Vermont Current N/A DOH said that the form was current in an email, but there is no date on the form
48 nspaulding 20/06/2024 02:29 PM bcook 25/06/2024 10:43 AM Virginia No form, all electronic N/A No access to electronic reporting form
49 nspaulding 20/06/2024 02:29 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 02:29 PM Washington Request denied 2017 DOH refused to send form because of confidentiality reasons; last form sent to CLI in 2018 was last updated in 2017
50 nspaulding 20/06/2024 02:29 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 02:29 PM West Virginia Current 2023
51 nspaulding 20/06/2024 02:29 PM bcook 25/06/2024 10:43 AM Wisconsin No form N/A No form ever sent, only a copy of what is required to be on the form according to the law
52 nspaulding 20/06/2024 02:29 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 02:29 PM Wyoming Requested 2019 No response from DOH; last form that CLI has a copy of was last updated in 2019 which matches what is available online

*Varying acronyms are used here to denote the specific health agencies governing abortion reporting in each locale.

 

Appendix C

Table 5 – 52 Reporting Areas’ Completeness and Access Scores

wdt_ID wdt_created_by wdt_created_at wdt_last_edited_by wdt_last_edited_at State Completeness Score (38 pts. total) Access Score (6 pts. total) Total Score (44 pts. total)
2 nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:03 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:03 PM Alabama 17/38 6 23/44= 52%
3 nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:03 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:03 PM Alaska 14/38 5 19/44= 43%
4 nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:03 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:03 PM Arizona 30/38 5 35/44= 80%
5 nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:03 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:03 PM Arkansas 21/38 4 25/44= 57%
6 nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:03 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:03 PM California 0 0 0
7 nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:03 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:03 PM Colorado 13/38 2 15/44= 34%
8 nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:03 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:03 PM Connecticut 8/38 2 10/44= 23%
9 nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:03 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:03 PM Delaware 13/38 2 15/44= 34%
10 nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:03 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:03 PM District of Columbia 3.5/38 2 5.5/44= 13%
11 nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:03 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:03 PM Florida 13/38 4 17/44= 39%
12 nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:03 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:03 PM Georgia 13/38 5 18/44= 41%
13 nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:03 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:03 PM Hawaii 4.5/38 2 6.5/44= 15%
14 nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:03 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:03 PM Idaho 17/38 6 23/44= 52%
15 nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:03 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:03 PM Illinois 6.5/38 2 8.5/44= 19%
16 nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:03 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:03 PM Indiana 22/38 5 27/44= 61%
17 nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:03 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:03 PM Iowa 11/38 5 16/44= 36%
18 nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:03 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:03 PM Kansas 21/38 6 27/44= 61%
19 nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:03 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:03 PM Kentucky 21/38 6 27/44= 61%
20 nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:03 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:03 PM Louisiana 12.5/38 5 17.5/44= 40%
21 nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:03 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:03 PM Maine 8/38 3 11/44= 25%
22 nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:03 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:03 PM Maryland 0 0 0
23 nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:03 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:03 PM Massachusetts 13/38 4 17/44= 39%
24 nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:03 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:03 PM Michigan 0 0 0
25 nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:03 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:03 PM Minnesota 20/38 5 25/44= 57%
26 nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:03 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:03 PM Mississippi 11.5/38 4 15.5/44= 35%
27 nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:03 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:03 PM Missouri 14.5/38 4 18.5/44= 42%
28 nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:03 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:03 PM Montana 12/38 4 16/44= 36%
29 nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:03 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:03 PM Nebraska 22/38 5 27/44= 61%
30 nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:03 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:03 PM Nevada 16/38 1 17/44= 39%
31 nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:03 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:03 PM New Hampshire 0 0 0
32 nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:03 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:03 PM New Jersey 0 0 0
33 nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:03 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:03 PM New Mexico 7/38 1 8/44= 18%
34 nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:03 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:03 PM New York State 8/38 1 9/44= 20%
35 nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:03 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:03 PM New York City 7/38 2 9/44= 20%
36 nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:03 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:03 PM North Carolina 12/38 2 14/44= 32%
37 nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:03 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:03 PM North Dakota 0 0 0
38 nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:03 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:03 PM Ohio 23/38 4 27/44= 61%
39 nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:03 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:03 PM Oklahoma 30/38 4 34/44= 77%
40 nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:03 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:03 PM Oregon 17.5/38 2 19.5/44= 44%
41 nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:03 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:03 PM Pennsylvania 16/38 6 22/44= 50%
42 nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:03 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:03 PM Rhode Island 4.5/38 3 7.5/44= 17%
43 nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:03 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:03 PM South Carolina 11/38 6 17/44= 39%
44 nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:03 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:03 PM South Dakota 25/38 5 30/44= 68%
45 nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:03 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:03 PM Tennessee 8/38 2 10/44= 23%
46 nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:03 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:03 PM Texas 18.5/38 6 24.5/44= 56%
47 nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:03 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:03 PM Utah 16/38 3 19/44= 43%
48 nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:03 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:03 PM Vermont 11.5/38 2 13.5/44= 31%
49 nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:03 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:03 PM Virginia 8/38 1 9/44= 20%
50 nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:03 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:03 PM Washington 4.5/38 3 7.5/44= 17%
51 nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:03 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:03 PM West Virginia 15.5/38 6 21.5/44= 49%
52 nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:03 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:03 PM Wisconsin 14/38 4 18/44= 41%
53 nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:03 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:03 PM Wyoming 11/38 5 16/44= 36%

Table 6 – Prevalence of Collected Information Regarding Completeness Categories*

*Links to information mentioned in the “Public Health Significance…” column are available in the PDF version of this paper. Please see the “Print/Download” button.

Table 7 – Prevalence of Collected Information by Reporting Areas in 2024 per USRITP Suggested Data Points

wdt_ID wdt_created_by wdt_created_at wdt_last_edited_by wdt_last_edited_at Data Points Suggested By USRITP # of Reporting Areas Collecting These Data Points in 2024
1 nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:32 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:32 PM Facility Name 9
2 nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:32 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:32 PM Type of Facility 13
3 nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:32 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:32 PM Age of woman 46
4 nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:32 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:32 PM Month of Pregnancy Termination 13
5 nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:32 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:32 PM State of Residence of Patient 46
6 nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:32 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:32 PM Ethnicity 37
7 nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:32 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:32 PM Race 39
8 nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:32 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:32 PM Education 22
9 nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:32 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:32 PM Gestational Estimate 45
10 nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:32 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:32 PM Previous Live Births 39
11 nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:32 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:32 PM Previous Miscarriages 7
12 nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:32 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:32 PM Previous Induced Abortions 34
13 nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:32 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:32 PM Abortion Method 46
14 nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:32 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:32 PM Marital Status 39

Table 8 – 2024 Abortion Reporting Scores vs. Reporting Areas’ Abortion Rates[17] (in Order of Highest Abortion Rate)

wdt_ID wdt_created_by wdt_created_at wdt_last_edited_by wdt_last_edited_at State 2024 Reporting Total Score (%) Abortion Rate Data Source and Year
1 nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:34 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:34 PM New Jersey 0 29.20 2020, Guttmacher APC
2 nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:34 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:34 PM Maryland 0 25.90 2020, Guttmacher APC
3 nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:34 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:34 PM District of Columbia 13% 21.80 2021, CDC
4 nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:34 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:34 PM Kansas 61% 21.70 2022, State
5 nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:34 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:34 PM New York City 20% 21.00 2021, CDC
6 nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:34 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:34 PM Florida 39% 21.00 2022, State
7 nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:34 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:34 PM Illinois 19% 20.80 2021, CDC
8 nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:34 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:34 PM California 0 19.20 2020, Guttmacher APC
9 nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:34 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:34 PM Connecticut 23% 16.00 2022, State
10 nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:34 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:34 PM Michigan 0 15.90 2022, State
11 nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:34 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:34 PM Georgia 41% 15.70 2022, State
12 nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:34 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:34 PM North Carolina 32% 15.70 2021, CDC
13 nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:34 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:34 PM Nevada 39% 14.20 2021, CDC
14 nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:34 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:34 PM Pennsylvania 50% 14.20 2022, State
15 nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:34 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:34 PM Massachusetts 39% 12.60 2022, State
16 nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:34 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:34 PM New York State (excl. NYC) 20% 12.20 2021, CDC
17 nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:34 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:34 PM New Mexico 18% 12.10 2021, CDC
18 nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:34 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:34 PM Colorado 34% 11.80 2022, State
19 nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:34 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:34 PM Minnesota 57% 11.10 2022, State
20 nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:34 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:34 PM Washington 17% 10.60 2021, CDC
21 nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:34 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:34 PM Oregon 44% 10.40 2022, State
22 nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:34 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:34 PM Rhode Island 17% 10.00 2021, CDC
23 nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:34 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:34 PM Delaware 34% 9.80 2021, CDC
24 nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:34 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:34 PM Virginia 20% 9.40 2021, CDC
25 nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:34 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:34 PM Maine 25% 9.10 2022, State
26 nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:34 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:34 PM Tennessee 23% 8.90 2021, CDC
27 nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:34 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:34 PM Montana 36% 8.80 2021, CDC
28 nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:34 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:34 PM Vermont 31% 8.60 2021, CDC
29 nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:34 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:34 PM Alaska 43% 8.60 2022, State
30 nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:34 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:34 PM Hawaii 15% 8.40 2021, CDC
31 nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:34 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:34 PM Ohio 61% 8.30 2022, State
32 nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:34 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:34 PM New Hampshire 0 8.30 2020, Guttmacher APC
33 nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:34 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:34 PM Arizona 80% 8.10 2022, State
34 nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:34 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:34 PM South Carolina 30% 7.30 2022, State
35 nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:34 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:34 PM Indiana 61% 7.20 2022, State
36 nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:34 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:34 PM Iowa 36% 6.70 2022, State
37 nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:34 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:34 PM Nebraska 61% 6.60 2022, State
38 nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:34 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:34 PM Wisconsin 41% 5.90 2021, CDC
39 nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:34 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:34 PM Louisiana 40% 5.00 2022, State
40 nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:34 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:34 PM North Dakota 0 4.90 2022, State
41 nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:34 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:34 PM Utah 43% 4.30 2021, CDC
42 nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:34 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:34 PM Mississippi 35% 3.90 2022, State
43 nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:34 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:34 PM Alabama 52% 3.80 2022, State
44 nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:34 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:34 PM Texas 56% 3.50 2022, State
45 nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:34 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:34 PM Kentucky 61% 3.00 2022, State
46 nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:34 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:34 PM Arkansas 57% 2.80 2022, State
47 nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:34 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:34 PM Oklahoma 77% 2.70 2022, State
48 nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:34 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:34 PM Idaho 52% 2.70 2022, State
49 nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:34 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:34 PM West Virginia 49% 2.60 2022, State
50 nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:34 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:34 PM Wyoming 36% 1.80 2022, State
51 nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:34 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:34 PM South Dakota 68% 0.80 2022, State
52 nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:34 PM nspaulding 20/06/2024 03:34 PM Missouri 42% 0.10 2021, CDC

Appendix D

Figure 2 – CLI’s Updated Sample Scoresheet

 


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Bassler, Hunter. “Out-of-State Abortions in Illinois Saw a 49% Increase in Year Roe v. Wade was Overturned.” Accessed February 23, 2024. https://www.ksdk.com/article/news/health/illinois-out-of-state-abortion-increase-2022/63-22c3776d-8229-4c1d-ba5a-f7e1b630cc94

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———. “Questions and Answers on Mifepristone for Medical Termination of Pregnancy through Ten Weeks Gestation.” Accessed February 23, 2024. https://www.fda.gov/drugs/postmarket-drug-safety-information-patients-and-providers/questions-and-answers-mifepristone-medical-termination-pregnancy-through-ten-weeks-gestation

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[1] In email communication, New Jersey notified the Charlotte Lozier Institute (CLI) in 2023 that the state would no longer be releasing abortion data and that the 2020 data they provided CLI was the last year of data they would be collecting. Historically, New Jersey’s data only included data from hospitals and licensed ambulatory care facilities, not all facilities that performed abortions. Similarly, North Dakota, who traditionally had good abortion reporting requirements and is a pro-life state, noted in their 2022 abortion report that it would be the last one that the state published since the state had largely prohibited abortion and saw no need to continue producing public reports. New Hampshire’s Department of Health and Human Services (DOHHS) collects partial-birth abortion data (NH Code §329:35) but it is not reported to the public. Furthermore, in New Hampshire, any provider that performs an abortion at 24 weeks of gestation or later must report to both the facility where the abortion was performed and the NH DOHHS (NH Code §329:45). Michigan, a state with historically strong reporting, repealed the entirety of the state’s reporting requirements with the passage of SB 0474 in fall 2023. The bill went into effect in February 2024. The state had published 2022 data in June 2023 but will no longer report 2023 data and beyond.

[2] These seven states included California, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Rhode Island, and Wyoming.

[3] However, because of litigation, abortion by mail had been happening from July 2020 to January 12, 2021 prior to the FDA announcing its temporary suspension of the in-person requirement in April 2021.

[4] The FDA did not put forth a written statement announcing this change but rather covertly updated their website page on Mifepristone to reflect the agency’s decision.  The agency’s Q and A page for Mifepristone also was changed to reflect this decision. Lastly, GenBioPro released a statement noting the agency informed them of this change.

[5] Data current as of 2/2/2024.

[6] Wyoming broke down drug-induced abortion use by telemedicine versus brick and mortar in their 2021 report but did not do so in their most recent report covering 2022 data.

[7] Ala. Code §22-9A-13; Alas. Code §18.50.245; Ariz. Code §36-2161-2163, Ariz. Admin Code R9-10-119; Ark. Code §20-18-603; Colo. Code of Regs. 5 CCR 1006-1-10; Conn. Admin Code 19-13-D54; 16 DE Code §3133; D.C. Code Title 7, Fla. Code §390.0112, Fla. Admin Code 59A-9.034; GA Code §31-10-10, 31-9A-6, 31-9B-3, GA Admin Code 511-5-7-.01; HI Code §338-9; Ida. Code §39-261, 18-506, IDAPA §16.02.08.451; 775 ILCS 55/1-25, 77 Ill. Admin Code 505.60; Ind. Code §16-34-2-5, 410 IAC 41-2-2; Iowa Code §144.29A, §146B.2, 641 Iowa Admin. Code 100.5; KS Code §65-445, 65-6703, 65-6705, 65-6707, 65-6721, K.A.R. 28-56-2; Ken. Code §213.101, 901 KAR 5:120; LA Code §40.1061.21; ME Code Title 22, 263-B §1596; Mass. Code Title XVI Ch. 112 §12Q; Mich. Code §333.2835; Minn. Code §145.4131, 145.4134; MS Code §41-41-401-19, 41-41-77-78, CMSR 15-005-085 Rule 6.3.5-6; MO Code §188.052, 188.075, MO 19 CSR 10-15.010, 10-15.020; Mont. Code §50-20-110, Mont. Admin Code 37.21.110; Neb. Code §28-343-344, 28-3107; Nev. Code §442.260, 442.265, Nev. Admin Code 442.200; New Mex. §24-14-18, NMAC 7.2.2.15; New York Code Ch. 45 Art. 41 Title 5 §4161, 4102, 4165; NYC Health Code Art. 203.03; North Car. §90.21.93, NC Admin Code 10A Ch. 14.0321; Ohio Code §3701.79, OAC Ann. 3701-47-03; 63 O.S. Section 1-738M, Section 1-738K, Section 1-728I; Oregon Code §435.496; 18 PA Code Part II Art. B §3214, 28 PA Admin Code 29.38; Rhode Island Admin Code 216-20-6.4.1; South Caro. Code §44-41-60; South Dak. Code §34-23A-34; Tenn. Code §68-3-505, Code §39-15-203, Tenn. HHS Regs. 1200-07.07 (1), Tenn. Comp Rules and Regs. R. 1200-07-01-.07; Texas Health and Safety Code §245.011, 245.0116, §171.006, Tex. 25 TAG 139.4-.5; Utah Code §76-7-313; 18 V.S.A. Part 6 Ch. 107 Subch. 2 §5222; VA Code §32.1-264, 12 VAC-550-120; Wash. Admin Code 246-490-100, 110; WV Code §16-5-22; Wisc. Code Ch. 69 Subch. 1 §69.186; Wyo. Code §35-6-131-132.

[8] To see a copy of the 2016 scoresheet, please visit this link: “Abortion Reporting: Toward a Better National Standard” (p. 10).

[9] If a state is interested in seeing categories of data they could include in their respective abortion reporting requirements to improve abortion reporting in their state and/or to obtain a copy of their state’s scoresheet, requests may be sent to [email protected]. CLI used the most current data available from reporting areas and the CDC as of February 2, 2024, in its evaluations of individual reporting areas. Data released by reporting areas after that date were not evaluated in this paper.

[10] To see states’ completeness and access scores, see Table 5 in Appendix C.

[11] Nevada’s 2021 abortion data was provided to CLI upon request.

[12] To view Oregon’s 2021 abortion report please see the state’s induced abortion dashboard, enter 2021 as the data year, and view the table titled, “Residence County by place of occurrence.”

[13] The Handbook also suggested that other data points be collected for the purposes of the individual abortion forms that abortionists are to fill out. The only data points considered in this analysis are ones that would appear in a public report and would thus be devoid of personal information like patients’ zip codes, names, and addresses.

[14] To see the scoring results from 2016, please see “Abortion Reporting: Toward a Better National Standard” https://lozierinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/Abortion-Reporting-Toward-a-Better-National-Standard-FINAL.pdf (p. 12).

[15] “No -effective gestational limit” means the area’s law was written in such a broad manner that its health exception(s) language allows for elective abortion up until the moment of birth.

[16] It is important to note that three states attempted to implement strong gestational laws following the overturn of Roe v. Wade on June 24, 2022. Ohio had a strong gestational law (a heartbeat law) that went into effect on the day that Roe was overturned until September 2022 when the law was enjoined. The law is now permanently enjoined following the passage of the Issue 1 Ballot Initiative in November 2023 which effectively stripped the states’ ability to enforce any pro-life laws. Similarly, Utah’s life at conception law went into effect on the same day that Roe was overturned, but was only in effect for three days before the law was enjoined and the state’s 18-week law went into effect. Lastly, Wisconsin’s life at conception law went into effect on the day that Roe was overturned until summer 2023 when it was enjoined, making abortion legal through 22 weeks. The judge’s summer 2023 decision was upheld in December of that same year.

[17] This table uses data from different years because the reporting areas had different years of data available to the public. If a reporting area had 2022 data available, it came from the city/state. If a reporting area had only 2021 data available, it came from the CDC’s 2021 annual abortion surveillance report. If a reporting area did not report 2021 or 2022, CLI used Guttmacher’s 2020 abortion census estimates for that reporting area. The reason for using a variety of data sources was to use the most up-to-date data available to reflect the most accurate state of abortion rates across the country.

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February 7, 2025 Abortion Reporting: Iowa (2023) February 7, 2025 Abortion Reporting: Nevada (2023) February 7, 2025 Abortion Reporting: Delaware (2022)

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