Travel for abortions, mainly from states like Kentucky, has doubled following Supreme Court decision, and can pose many difficulties
By Katelyn Jetelina, Your Local Epidemiologist. Republished from Kentucky Health News. This week, Kate Cox got an abortion, but had to leave Texas, where she lives, to get it. She joined more than 9.3 million Americans who got a legal abortion in the past 10 years, of which 8,300 (0.9%) got one after 20 weeks of gestation. Texas and Kentucky have similar, near-total bans on abortion. I’ve seen many on social media wonder: What’s the big deal? She found the health care she needed after all, right? And this cross-state journey is rare, right? Forced abortion travel has doubled following the U.S. Supreme Court’s Dobbs ruling. And if you’re one of the lucky few who can travel, this journey isn’t without very real challenges that may not be apparent to the unseen eye. The journey for an abortion looks very different depending on who you are. In general, though, many challenges could be prevented if we, as a society, accepted abortion as health care. First, many people’s journeys stop before they begin. It takes a lot of cash—plane tickets, rental car, hotel rooms, food, and procedure. This adds up to about $10,000-$30,000. As you can imagine, many people can’t afford this, and often, insurance doesn’t cover it. Half of all abortion seekers live below the federal poverty level—an income of less than $13,000 a year. This is especially true for adolescents and teens (who make up a big number of later abortion patients), undocumented people, and parents. If they make the journey, it’s not without other hard realities: Two things help. First, confidence in making the right decision: 95% of people who have an abortion say it was the right decision for them. The most common emotion reported afterward is relief. Second, health-care workers—literally angels on earth—at the abortion clinic ensure moments of human connection, empathy, and support. You feel cared for, which helps tremendously. And the rare souls you trust... Continue Reading
