Disruptions to Abortion Care in Louisiana During Early Months of the COVID-19 Pandemic

• Published in: American journal of public health (1971) Vol. 111; no. 8; pp. 1504 - 1512
• Main Authors: Roberts, Sarah C M, Berglas, Nancy F, Schroeder, Rosalyn, Lingwall, Mary, Grossman, Daniel, White, Kari
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States American Public Health Association 01.08.2021
• Subjects: Abortion; Abortion, Legal - trends; Adolescent; Adult; Ambulatory Care Facilities - trends; Clinics; Confidence intervals; Coronaviruses; COVID-19; COVID-19 - epidemiology; Female; Health services; Health Services Accessibility - trends; Health Policy; Humans; Louisiana; Open-Themed Research; Pandemics; Pregnancy; Pregnancy Trimester, Second; Public health; Research & Analysis; Residents; Scheduling; United States; Louisiana; United States; Mississippi; San Francisco California; United States > US; Texas; California; Arkansas
• ISSN: 0090-0036; 1541-0048; 1541-0048
• DOI: 10.2105/AJPH.2021.306284

To examine changes in abortions in Louisiana before and after the COVID-19 pandemic onset and assess whether variations in abortion service availability during this time might explain observed changes. We collected monthly service data from abortion clinics in Louisiana and neighboring states among Louisiana residents (January 2018‒May 2020) and assessed changes in abortions following pandemic onset. We conducted mystery client calls to 30 abortion clinics in Louisiana and neighboring states (April‒July 2020) and examined the percentage of open and scheduling clinics and median waits. The number of abortions per month among Louisiana residents in Louisiana clinics decreased 31% (incidence rate ratio = 0.69; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.59, 0.79) from before to after pandemic onset, while the odds of having a second-trimester abortion increased (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 1.91; 95% CI = 1.10, 3.33). The decrease was not offset by an increase in out-of-state abortions. In Louisiana, only 1 or 2 (of 3) clinics were open (with a median wait > 2 weeks) through early May. The COVID-19 pandemic onset was associated with a significant decrease in the number of abortions and increase in the proportion of abortions provided in the second trimester among Louisiana residents. These changes followed service disruptions.