Citation

Dickman SL, White K, Himmelstein DU, Lupez E, Schrier E, Woolhandler S. JAMA Intern. Med. 2024; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2024, American Medical Association)

DOI

10.1001/jamainternmed.2024.0014

PMID

38265790

Abstract

Many US women report experiencing sexual violence, and many seek abortion for rape-related pregnancies.1 Following the US Supreme Court's 2022 Dobbs v Jackson Women's Health Organization (Dobbs) decision overturning Roe v Wade, 14 states have outlawed abortion at any gestational duration.2 Although 5 of these states allow exceptions for rape-related pregnancies, stringent gestational duration limits apply, and survivors must report the rape to law enforcement, a requirement likely to disqualify most survivors of rape, of whom only 21% report their rape to police.3

Post Dobbs, 10 or fewer legal abortions occurred monthly in each of the total abortion ban states.4 We estimated rape-related pregnancies by state to assess how abortion bans affected survivors of rape.

Language: en