More than a decade of Obama-Biden leadership reshaped America. The consequences have been devastating.
And now the Trump admin has been put on its heels over this vomit-inducing report that just hit the wire.
Abortion Rates Surge in 2024 as Telemedicine Bypasses State Bans
The number of abortions in the United States rose significantly in 2024, fueled by a sharp increase in telemedicine abortions, particularly in states with near-total bans, according to a new report from the Society of Family Planning. The data reveals a shift in how abortions are accessed, with one in four procedures at the end of 2024 involving abortion pills mailed to patients, a dramatic rise from just 7% two years earlier.
This trend, driven by so-called “shield law” states, has reshaped the abortion landscape, allowing providers in states like New York and Massachusetts to prescribe and mail abortion pills to women in restrictive regions. Following the 2022 overturn of Roe v. Wade, 22 states and Washington, D.C., implemented shield laws to protect abortion providers from prosecution or extradition for violating other states’ abortion laws. Eight of these states have laws explicitly safeguarding providers when patients reside in different states, according to UCLA Law.
These legal protections have enabled a robust telemedicine network, with an average of 12,330 abortions per month facilitated under shield laws by the end of 2024. The ease of access was highlighted by a Daily Caller News investigation, which obtained five sets of abortion medication by filling out online forms without ever speaking to a physician or verifying a pregnancy.
The rise in mail-order abortions has sparked sharp criticism from pro-life advocates. “This report presents further evidence of the abortion industry’s prioritization of the widespread distribution of abortion drugs over women’s health and safety,” said Christina Francis, CEO of The American Association of Pro-Life Obstetricians and Gynecologists, in an interview with reporters.
We live in a nation where obtaining an abortion is as simple as a five-minute online shopping order.
Congress must act NOW to pass my Teleabortion Prevention Act, making it a federal crime for doctors to send abortion drugs through the mail. pic.twitter.com/nrAX2mlRA5
— Rep. Mark Harris (@RepMarkHarrisNC) June 19, 2025
“We have not only seen women suffer and die from complications that could have been prevented by basic medical supervision, but also, we have seen women losing wanted pregnancies after being poisoned with these drugs by abusers. Mail-order abortion amounts to medical negligence, and laws preventing states from enforcing pro-life laws against this dangerous practice only perpetuate its harms to our patients — preborn babies and pregnant women.”
Legal battles are emerging as states with strict abortion laws push back. Authorities in Texas and Louisiana have initiated cases against a New York-based doctor accused of illegally prescribing abortion pills across state lines, including to a minor in Louisiana. New York Governor Kathy Hochul, a Democrat, has refused to comply with an extradition request in the case, according to the Louisiana Illuminator.
Abortion advocates frequently defend the safety of abortion pills, comparing them to over-the-counter drugs like Tylenol. However, a peer-reviewed study by the pro-life Charlotte Lozier Institute challenges this claim, asserting that no scientifically valid comparison exists between the abortion drug mifepristone and Tylenol.
Further scrutiny comes from a study by the Ethics and Public Policy Center, which analyzed insurance data and found that nearly 11% of patients who take abortion pills experience serious adverse events, such as hemorrhaging, sepsis, fallopian tube rupture, or infection. This figure starkly contrasts with the 0.5% rate listed on the drug’s label, raising questions about the safety of mail-order abortions conducted without direct medical supervision.
The Society of Family Planning report notes that more than 1.14 million abortions were performed nationwide in 2024, up from approximately 1.06 million in 2023. This increase persists despite 19 states enforcing strict abortion restrictions, including total bans. The growth is largely attributed to telemedicine, which has enabled providers to circumvent state-level prohibitions.
The abortion debate remains extremely hot, as technological and legal innovations are expanding abortion access even in the face of significant restrictions. Shield laws have created a workaround for women in states with bans, allowing them to access care remotely. However, the lack of in-person medical oversight remains a flashpoint for critics who argue it endangers women’s health.
Many legal experts suggest it is inevitable that the US Supreme Court will have to address the legal and constitutional parameters of mail-order abortions, especially after its massive 2022 Dobbs ruling that allowed states to ban abortions should it wish to do so. Allowing mail-order abortions in states where abortion is illegal on the books seems like a problem.
Pro-life groups continue to sound alarms over the risks, while abortion rights advocates celebrate the accessibility shield laws provide. The divide is evident in legal actions, with states like Texas and Louisiana targeting out-of-state providers, only to face resistance from shield law states.
The 2024 abortion surge aptly demonstrates a rapidly evolving system, where technology and law intersect to reshape a contentious issue. With telemedicine bridging gaps created by state bans, the number of abortions continues to climb, even as the debate over safety and oversight grows louder.
This is the human cost of mail-order chemical abortion.
Planned Parenthood sends these drugs without a doctor's visit, leaving women to suffer alone.
Now, SCOTUS will decide if taxpayers must keep funding them in Medina v. Planned Parenthood.
Women deserve better.#SCOTUS… pic.twitter.com/97RPDvV4jE
— Alliance Defending Freedom (@ADFLegal) May 22, 2025
Stay tuned to the DC Daily Journal.
