Nov 7, 2025 01:16 AM
(This post was last modified: Nov 7, 2025 04:54 PM by C C.)
https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1104970
INTRO: In June 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization ended the federal constitutional right to abortion and returned authority to individual states to regulate abortion. A new study from researchers at Penn State, Albany Medical Center, University of South Florida and University of Tennessee Medical Center revealed that the change in abortion policies appears to have a trickle-down effect, influencing reproductive health and family planning decisions.
The research team found that the number of women undergoing tubal ligations — a surgical procedure that permanently prevents pregnancy — increased 51% across four academic medical centers in four states in the year after the Supreme Court decision compared to the prior year. A greater proportion of those seeking the procedure were also younger and had never given birth before.
The study, which was published in the journal Contraception, is the first to examine the impact of political factors on patients deciding to seek female permanent contraceptive procedures. Almost half of those seeking the procedure reported that their decision was somewhat or very related to the current political climate, even in states considered to be protective of abortion access.
“The Dobbs decision was an inflection point that made people think about their future plans,” said Sarah Horvath, associate professor and vice chair of research in the department of obstetrics and gynecology and co-author on the study. “More than anything, we saw that the Dobbs decision impacted the timing for people seeking tubal ligations more than it influenced the actual decision to have the procedure.” (MORE - details, no ads)
INTRO: In June 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization ended the federal constitutional right to abortion and returned authority to individual states to regulate abortion. A new study from researchers at Penn State, Albany Medical Center, University of South Florida and University of Tennessee Medical Center revealed that the change in abortion policies appears to have a trickle-down effect, influencing reproductive health and family planning decisions.
The research team found that the number of women undergoing tubal ligations — a surgical procedure that permanently prevents pregnancy — increased 51% across four academic medical centers in four states in the year after the Supreme Court decision compared to the prior year. A greater proportion of those seeking the procedure were also younger and had never given birth before.
The study, which was published in the journal Contraception, is the first to examine the impact of political factors on patients deciding to seek female permanent contraceptive procedures. Almost half of those seeking the procedure reported that their decision was somewhat or very related to the current political climate, even in states considered to be protective of abortion access.
“The Dobbs decision was an inflection point that made people think about their future plans,” said Sarah Horvath, associate professor and vice chair of research in the department of obstetrics and gynecology and co-author on the study. “More than anything, we saw that the Dobbs decision impacted the timing for people seeking tubal ligations more than it influenced the actual decision to have the procedure.” (MORE - details, no ads)
