Abortion pill interest surges after Roe v. Wade decision
A sign notifies customers of purchase limits emergency contraceptive pills. Photo: Allison Dinner/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Online interest in abortion pills has soared since the Supreme Court ruled to overturn Roe v. Wade, according to new data from Similarweb data.
Why it matters: Abortion pills will likely become the next major point of contention between abortion rights activists and opponents of abortion, Axios’ Jacob Knutson reports.
Driving the news: Traffic to telehealth abortion platforms jumped 456% since the Supreme Court's draft opinion leaked in May compared to the previous month.
- Traffic climbed 20% month to month in June when the Supreme Court's ruling was announced, CNN reports.
- Telehealth abortion services platforms earned 5.3 million web visits in June alone, the data showed.
By the numbers: On June 24 — the day the Supreme Court's ruling was announced — visits to telehealth abortion platforms were 2,585% higher than the previous day, per Similarweb data.
- Traffic rose more than 50% on the following day, CNN reports.
The big picture: The surge in web traffic has led to a quick expansion of abortion pill startups, which are looking to offer women abortion prescriptions through telemedicine,
- Abortion pill online orders are expected to grow after the Supreme Court's ruling, Axios' Kelly Tyko reports. Interest in abortion care through telemedicine is also expected to increase.
Yes, but: Lawmakers across at least 20 states have already proposed restrictions or bans on abortion pills, per Pew's Stateline.
Flashback: Google search data from the weekend of June 26 showed Americans were looking for where they can still get abortions and what the law would mean for the future, Axios reports.
- Searches for "abortion pill" made an impact in red states such as Wyoming and Montana, as well as Louisiana, Georgia, Missouri and Arkansas.
Go deeper ... What Americans are searching after Roe v. Wade reversal