Impact of the Dobbs decision on abortion services from a large tertiary center in Oregon

Abstract

ObjectiveEvaluate the impact of the Dobbs vs Jackson decision on abortion volume and patient characteristics in Oregon, a state with no legal restrictions on abortion, at a single tertiary care hospital. MethodsElectronic health records from patients who received an abortion at Oregon’s largest tertiary health center were utilized comparing the year before and after Dobbs. ResultsMonthly average abortions increased from 57.8 pre-Dobbs to 77.1 post-Dobbs (p=0.001). This trend was associated with an increased proportion of out-of-state patients (14.3% vs 9.5%, p=0.004) presenting with gestational duration ≥ 26 weeks (23.6% vs 3.7% in-state, p<0.001). ConclusionsThe Dobbs decision resulted in increased utilization of hospital-based abortion care in a protective state, characterized by a greater prevalence of patients traveling from out-of-state and presenting at later gestational durations. These trends reflect the critical role of protective states in preserving access to abortion care.