Photo credit: Martina Šalov
by David S. Cohen and Carole Joffe
A new story of abortion in America is upon us. Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization overturned Roe v. Wade and rejected a constitutional right to abortion, but so far, because of everything we chronicle in our forthcoming book After Dobbs: How the Supreme Court Ended Roe but Not Abortion (Beacon 2025), abortion has continued to be available for most people. Indeed, much to the surprise of many — including the two of us — the best data we have so far reveals that the number of abortions performed in the United States has increased after the decision.
Dobbs was supposed to dramatically decrease the number of abortions in America, but the hard, nimble, and creative work of the providers where clinics have remained open, the growth and new delivery models of abortion pills, and the never-ending work of those advocates who help with abortion travel and funding refused to let that happen. This continuity of care is a cause for celebration in the face of a devastating blow from the Supreme Court.