Abortion and miscarriage care in New York State significantly delayed during COVID-19 pandemic: Study

A study by CUNY SPH researchers found that those seeking abortion and miscarriage care in New York State during the COVID-19 pandemic experienced considerable delays.

For the study, published last week in Women's Health Reports, CUNY SPH doctoral candidate Sarah Pickering, Professor Diana Romero, Associate Professor Meredith Manze, and alumna Jessie Losch administered a cross-sectional survey in June and July of 2020 to New York State residents aged 18–44 years who identified as female or transgender male.

The researchers focused on a sub-sample who either had an abortion or miscarriage during COVID-19, were seeking an abortion at the time of the survey or had an abortion or miscarriage prior to COVID-19. They conducted analyses to determine differences in delays to seeking or obtaining an abortion or miscarriage during versus prior to the pandemic, as well as consideration of abortion among those pregnant during versus prior to the pandemic.

The team found that, of the 21 respondents in the sample who sought or were seeking an abortion during the pandemic, 76.2% reported experiencing a delay in obtaining abortion care, compared to 18.2% of those who experienced a delay prior to the pandemic.

A significantly higher proportion of respondents who were pregnant during the pandemic considered abortion, compared to those who gave birth prior to the pandemic. Of the 39 respondents who miscarried during the pandemic, 35.9% delayed care, compared to 5.9% prior to the pandemic.

"Abortion and miscarriage care are essential services that must be available during public health emergencies, and yet access to these services is now severely limited in many states due to the Dobbs vs. Jackson Women's Health Organization decision," says Pickering.