ST PAUL, Minn. — A newly released annual report from the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) shows the number of abortion procedures increased in the state of Minnesota in 2022, particularly after the June 2022 Dobbs ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court which overturned the Roe v. Wade decision that previously legalized abortions nationwide.
According to the report, MDH said a total of 12,175 abortion procedures were performed in the state of Minnesota in 2022, a 20% increase over the 10,138 procedures in 2021. It's the highest number reported in Minnesota since 2009 (12,388).
According to the monthly breakdown of abortion procedures, fewer than 1,000 procedures were reported each month through July 2022; starting in August, two months after Roe v. Wade was overturned, more than 1,000 procedures were reported each month:
- January: 883
- February: 856
- March: 977
- April: 828
- May: 858
- June: 973
- July: 967
- August: 1,137
- September: 1,115
- October: 1,130
- November: 1,257
- December: 1,194
MDH said 10,166 of the abortion procedures involved patients from Minnesota; 2,009 of the patients were from out of state, with most from the neighboring states of Wisconsin (874), North Dakota (383), South Dakota (271), and Iowa (174); all five states have some level of abortion restrictions, though the Iowa Supreme Court recently deadlocked over more strict bans in that state.
The MDH report showed some women traveled from as far away as Texas (150) and Florida (11) to receive abortion procedures in Minnesota. The total percentage of out-of-state residents receiving abortions in Minnesota (16.5%) was the highest of any year since the statistical reporting began in 1980.
The vast majority of abortion procedures occurred during the first trimester of pregnancy (10,979), with only one reported in the third trimester.
Most of the abortions were drug-induced, with more than 7,000 patients taking the drug Mifepristone, which is currently facing legal challenges to its availability nationwide.
In January 2023, Gov. Tim Walz signed a bill passed by the DFL-led Minnesota Legislature which enshrined the right to abortion access into state law.
Abortion opponents decried the reported increase in abortions as a dangerous trend.
“Many other states have reasonable protections for unborn children and their mothers. But not Minnesota,” said Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life (MCCL) Co-Executive Director Cathy Blaeser in a statement.
The full 2022 abortion report and statistics can be found on the Minnesota Department of Health website.
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