According to the group #WeCount, there were at least 10,000 fewer abortions carried out in the U.S. in the two months after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June 2022.
#WeCount has close ties to the pro-abortion movement but the figures it compiled are at least worthy of consideration. They recorded the dramatic decrease in abortions in states that have introduced bans or restrictions on abortion and document the increase in abortions in States like Minnesota and Illinois, where women from neighbouring states appear to be travelling to access abortions.
Taking everything into account, the group that compiled the figures estimate that 10,570 fewer abortions took place in the U.S. between July and August than would typically occur year on year during these two months.
Pro-life groups in the U.S. have also drawn attention to the sharp drop in abortions that occurred in states that banned or restricted abortion following the Dobbs ruling in June. It is incredible to think that there are 10,570 babies alive today in the U.S. that would otherwise be dead if the Supreme Court had not issued its ruling.
Supporters of abortion should be asked if they believe the babies who are alive today as a result of the ruling have the same right to be alive as they do. It is a straightforward question. There is no room for equivocation in answering it.
The drop in the number of abortions taking place since the Dobbs decision is proof that pro-life laws save lives. Ireland showed that this was true prior to repeal and now the same is happening in the US. It’s why we have to keep pushing for incremental changes in Ireland and insisting that positive alternatives to abortion are prioritised in ad campaigns instead of the promotion of abortion that is currently taking place.