Women are choosing to manage their own abortions: The increase in self-directed abortions.

A study shows more women are trying to end their pregnancies by themselves using methods like taking herbs or hitting their abdomen. This change was observed after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June 2022, with reports rising from 2.4% to 3.3%.

Researchers surveyed thousands of women before and after the Supreme Court decision to understand their actions regarding self-managed abortions. The increase in self-managed abortions is small but signifies potentially hundreds of thousands of cases.

Women chose to manage their abortions privately for reasons like cost and preference for privacy. They used varied methods including unlicensed medications and risky physical acts that sometimes led to severe health issues.

Some women faced complications from these methods and had to get professional medical help. Others continued their pregnancies when self-managed abortions didn’t work, or some eventually had clinical abortions.

The limitations of the research include potential under-reporting and varying interpretations of survey questions. The findings reinforce that legal restrictions push some to seek risky alternatives for abortions.