(C) Daily Montanan This story was originally published by Daily Montanan and is unaltered. . . . . . . . . . . On the anniversary of Dobbs, Montana sees increase in abortions – Daily Montanan [1] ['Darrell Ehrlick', 'More From Author', '- June'] Date: 2023-06-24 In the year since the United States Supreme Court issued the bombshell decision Dobbs vs. Jackson Women’s Health that overturned a half-century of abortion precedent, Montana has seen the number of abortions provided in-state grow – a number that hasn’t surprised many. According to the national #WeCount Report by the Society of Family Planning, Montana’s average number of abortions performed per month grew by 17, or roughly 10 percent. In that same time period, 20 states have either banned the procedure completely or severely curtailed access to it. Meanwhile in Montana, abortion remains legal with the state Supreme Court’s 1999 ruling, Armstrong vs. State of Montana, in which the court found that Montana’s right to privacy in the state constitution covered medical decisions by a resident and their healthcare provider. Still, that didn’t stop the legislature from passing several restrictive abortion bills that have already been challenged in court. A recent public opinion poll confirmed a majority of residents still overwhelmingly favor access to abortion and keeping the procedure legal in most circumstance in Montana. Montana does, in some cases, follow the national trend, while bucking it in other areas. For example, the overall national trend for abortions is down, largely due to some states imposing a ban. In that way, Montana’s rise is unique. However, experts in the Treasure State say they expected to see – and have seen – an increase in the number of travelers coming from out of state, as well as dealing with confusion caused by the legislature’s contradictory laws. For example, nationally there were more than 25,000 fewer abortions from July 2022 to March 2023, averaging more than 2,800 fewer per month. Even during the nine months following the Dobbs decision, the increase in states where abortion was legal did not make up for the states that outlawed it, according to the WeCount report. The Society for Family Planning also reported that since 2017 trends nationally showed the numbers of abortion gradually increasing, but since the Dobbs decision, the abortion rates per 1,000 women fell from 13.4 to 12.6. Mary Sullivan of Planned Parenthood Montana said it’s surprising that lawmakers have seemed so openly hostile to a procedure the majority of Montanans approve of. She said providers throughout the state are reporting that more women are having to travel farther, sometimes from out of state, for the procedure. “We’re lucky we have such a strong constitution,” Sullivan said. “But we’ve seen a similar pattern of boilerplate bills that are aligned with attacks on transgender people, too, which threaten bodily autonomy and individual privacy.” Aileen Gleizer, a spokesperson for Blue Mountain Clinic, also told the Daily Montanan that there is a connection between the battle for abortion and gender-affirming care in Montana. “In the wake of the Dobbs decision, Blue Mountain Clinic continues our unwavering commitment to provide abortion care services and gender-affirming care as integral and fully integrated components of primary health care. Abortion and gender-affirming care continues to be safe, legal, and available in Montana, despite restrictions from neighboring states and a legislative session that featured incendiary language and gross misinformation,” said Gleizer, on behalf of the clinic in Missoula. Every state bordering Montana has either banned or placed more restrictions on the procedure making the state a sort of oasis. Sullivan said this probably explains the increase in the numbers. Those increases are even more striking when considering that many Montana women heard about the legislature’s attempt to restrict the procedure, which may have caused some apprehension about seeking medical care. “We want people to know that there has been no change for patients. It’s still legal,” Sullivan said. Still, that has not stopped state officials from trying to stop the procedure, especially for those who have Medicaid. But, attorneys who have challenged the state’s Medicaid rule have argued that stopping the procedure is unconstitutional because it violates the concept of equal protection, meaning the state treats abortion differently depending on what kind of health insurance a person has. Some patients have traveled to Montana from as far away as Texas. “People are having to put their entire lives on hold, just because they can’t access abortion care,” she said. Despite the political climate becoming story, both advocates said they were encouraged by the support of the state. “What is happening in Helena is not indicative of what people feel like around the state. People value abortion, the privacy of their healthcare decisions,” Sullivan said. “They don’t want lawmakers in the examine room, and we’ll fight to keep it legal. People should know they shouldn’t be afraid or stigmatized. It’s OK to want and need an abortion. It’s a popular thing, and you have support. “Your community has your back.” [END] --- [1] Url: https://dailymontanan.com/2023/06/24/on-the-anniversary-of-dobbs-montana-sees-increase-in-abortions/ Published and (C) by Daily Montanan Content appears here under this condition or license: Creative Commons CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. via Magical.Fish Gopher News Feeds: gopher://magical.fish/1/feeds/news/montanan/