Colorado sees surge in abortions post-Dobbs decision
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In the year since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, abortions in Colorado increased by an estimated 4,500 — one of the five largest surges in the U.S., according to a new report.
Why it matters: The influx of patients is making it harder for Colorado residents to receive reproductive health care and is creating delays in securing appointments.
State of play: Out-of-state patients are driving the increase, according to advocates and providers, largely from five neighboring states that approved tougher abortion restrictions and from Texas.
By the numbers: Colorado's providers performed an estimated 1,610 abortions monthly before the Dobbs decision landed on June 24, 2022.
- Now that number is near 2,070, according to a report from the Denver-based Society for Family Planning, which labels Colorado a "surge state."
What they're saying: "Never before in my 42 years as an abortion provider and activist have I seen so many women in such dire distress over their unplanned pregnancies," says Suzanne Thorp, a nurse practitioner in Denver.
Zoom in: Cobalt, a Colorado reproductive rights advocacy group that provides financial assistance to women seeking abortions, reported that it spent $737,000 in 2022 — three times its 2021 levels — and much of it post-Dobbs.
- Through May this year, the organization has provided $357,000 in support, putting it on pace to set a new record.
The other side: Colorado anti-abortion advocates pressed unsuccessfully to put new restrictions on abortion into legislation earlier this year and now are organizing to put an initiative on the ballot in 2024.
The big picture: The Democratic-led state Legislature and governor took action after the high court's decision to ensure unfettered access to abortion services and enacted new laws earlier this year to protect doctors providing care to patients from states where abortion is restricted or illegal.