Patients seeking abortion services are having to drive farther than ever before since the landmark US Supreme Court decision, Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization. Consequently, online abortion services staffed by US-based clinicians are burgeoning. This study leverages Access, Delivered’s existing patient database of Aid Access patients served by US-based clinicians in permissible states and builds on our work with Dr. Caitlin Myers using the Abortion Access Dashboard. We connect Aid Access’ request for abortion pills with the calculated distance to the nearest abortion facility for each county and for each month for all counties served by US Aid Access providers in two years – one immediately prior, one after the Dobbs decision. These findings shed light on the impact of clinic closures and whether requests for online services are related to driving distance to closest abortion facility.
Investigating the individual characteristics, reasons for seeking services, and geographical factors associated with the demand for online abortion services can provide valuable insights for policymakers, healthcare providers, and advocates working towards ensuring equitable access to safe abortion care for all individuals in the US.