Ob/gyns in states with abortion bans face risks, but new study shows that most stayed after Dobbs

Doctors across the United States who provide obstetrics and gynecology care have been confronted with new restrictions and uncertainties – and sometimes significant legal risks – that continue to unfold in the three years since the US Supreme Court's Dobbs decision revoked the federal right to an abortion. But new research shows that ob/gyns didn't immediately flee states with abortion bans, although decisions were highly personal and often required heavy moral calculations.

The number of ob/gyns in states with abortion bans increased slightly in the months following the Dobbs decision in June 2022, according to a study published Monday in the JAMA Network Open medical journal. By September, there were about 8% more ob/gyns in states with bans than there were before the ruling – in line with changes seen in states where abortion remained legal. The number of ob/gyns increased just under 8% in states where abortion is protected and 10.5% in states where it is threatened, the study found.