Late-term abortions could surge in blue states that end gestational limits, researchers say

Late-term abortions could rise sharply in 10 Democratic-led states that have removed gestational limits, according to new research. These states include Colorado, Massachusetts, New York, and others where lawmakers have enacted policies allowing abortion through the full term of pregnancy. This shift follows the 2022 U.S. Supreme Court decision Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, which overturned Roe v. Wade and returned authority over abortion regulations to individual states. Researchers warn that the removal of gestational limits may lead to an uptick in abortions performed beyond the 24th week of pregnancy, raising concerns among pro-life advocates about the potential risks to both mothers and fetuses. In Massachusetts, the most recent state to eliminate gestational restrictions, Governor Maura Healey signed legislation on August 10 that allows physicians to determine the appropriate time for an abortion based on their professional judgment. State public health records show that 99 abortions were conducted at 24 weeks or later in 2024, compared to 84 in 2023. All these procedures occurred under conditions where the health or life of the mother or child was at risk, aligning with prior state laws. However, critics argue that this data may not fully reflect the broader implications of removing gestational limits, particularly as more states follow suit. Pro-life organizations have raised alarms about the long-term consequences of allowing late-term abortions. Gavin Oxley, a spokesperson for Americans United for Life, described the policy as a result of “ideological extremism” and warned that it sends a false message about the morality and safety of such procedures. He emphasized that states adopting these policies could bear responsibility for the harms associated with abortion deregulation. Similarly, Herb Geraghty of Secular Pro-Life cited a 2020 study indicating that many later-term abortions are motivated by financial factors or delayed recognition of pregnancy. In Arizona, data from 2012 to 2017 showed that 80% of abortions performed after 21 weeks lacked medical justification related to maternal or fetal health. Medical professionals have also expressed concern about the safety of late-term abortions. The American Association of Pro-Life OB-GYNs highlighted a federal study revealing that the maternal mortality rate for abortions after 21 weeks was nearly ten times higher than the overall rate for all abortions. This finding underscores the potential dangers of expanding access to late-term procedures. Meanwhile, pro-choice advocates maintain that demand for second and third trimester abortions remains low. Jessie Hill, a reproductive rights legal scholar at Case Western Reserve University, argued that even in states with relaxed rules, few doctors would take on the legal, medical, and political risks of performing non-emergency late-term abortions. The lack of comprehensive national data complicates efforts to assess the true scope of late-term abortions. There is no centralized system for tracking abortions after the 20th week of pregnancy. The Guttmacher Institute, a well-known reproductive health research organization, estimates that such procedures account for less than 1% of all abortions. The CDC, which relies on voluntary state reporting, notes a decline in total abortions from 613,383 in 2022 to 613,383 in the same period, though it does not break down figures by gestational age. Notably, California, the country’s largest provider of abortions, does not submit detailed statistics to the federal agency, further obscuring the picture. Dr. Karysse Hutson, an OB-GYN affiliated with Save the Storks, a Texas-based pro-life group, criticized the reluctance of some states to report abortion data. She suggested that this absence of transparency might conceal an impending increase in the number of women seeking or being pressured into late-term abortions. As more states move toward eliminating gestational limits, the debate over the safety, ethics, and accessibility of late-term procedures is likely to intensify, with ongoing discussions centered on how best to balance reproductive rights with public health considerations.