Skip to main content

Louisiana abortions decreased at the start of the pandemic

While many abortion clinics remained open and continued to provide care during the first months of the COVID-19 pandemic, most Louisiana clinics did not. Overall abortion numbers in the state decreased after the onset of the pandemic, and the proportion of abortions occurring in the second trimester increased.

Key Findings

The number of abortions in Louisiana decreased by 31% at pandemic onset.
The decrease was not offset by an increase in out-of-state abortions.
The proportion of abortions occurring in the second-trimester was higher after pandemic onset as compared to before (17% of abortions April and May 2020 compared with 10% in the same months of 2018 and 2019).
Abortion services in Louisiana were seriously disrupted during the early months of the pandemic in the U.S. Only one or two of the state’s three clinics were open through early May, with a median wait of more than two weeks.

Study Design

Researchers analyzed data on all abortions provided in Louisiana’s three abortion clinics between January 1, 2018, and May 31, 2020. They also obtained monthly data on abortions provided to Louisiana residents at all clinics in Arkansas and Mississippi and at 17 of 24 open facilities in Texas. To obtain data about whether clinics were open, researchers made mystery calls between April and July 2020 to all publicly advertised clinics in Louisiana, Arkansas, Mississippi and Texas.

Implications

Abortion services in Louisiana were seriously disrupted in the early months of the pandemic. This disruption pandemic may have stemmed from Louisiana’s status as an early coronavirus hotspot, as well as from an ambiguously worded order regarding whether abortion was an essential service.

“This order may have contributed to declines in availability as clinics explored whether they could remain open, suggesting abortion services can be disrupted without outright bans."
 

Regardless of the cause, there are health implications of the decreased number of abortions associated with pandemic onset. Those unable to obtain clinic-based abortion will postpone seeking abortion, attempt to self-manage their abortions, or continue their pregnancies. Findings suggest we might see such an increase in births, meaning the pandemic may have indirect effects on maternal and child health in Louisiana.

The article, Disruptions to abortion care in Louisiana during early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, is available in American Journal of Public Health.