Abortion-Related Laws and Concurrent Patterns in Abortion Incidence in Indiana, 2010-2019

Abstract

Objectives: To analyze abortion incidence in Indiana concurrent with changes in abortion-related laws. Methods: Using publicly available data, we created a timeline of abortion-related laws in Indiana, calculated abortion rates by geography, and described changes in abortion occurrence coincident with changes in abortion-related laws between 2010 and 2019. Results: Between 2010 and 2019, Indiana’s legislature passed 14 abortion-restricting laws, and 4 of 10 abortion-providing clinics closed. The Indiana abortion rate decreased from 7.8 abortions per 1000 women aged 15 to 44 years in 2010 to 5.9 in 2019. At all time points, the abortion rate was 58% to 71% of the Midwestern rate and 48% to 55% of the national rate. By 2019, nearly 1 in 3 (29%) Indiana residents who obtained abortion care did so outside the state. Conclusions: Access to abortion in Indiana over the past decade was low, required increases in interstate travel to obtain care, and co-occurred with the passage of numerous abortion restrictions. Public Health Implications: These findings preview unequal abortion access and increases in interstate travel as state-level restrictions and bans go into effect across the country.