Dobbs Decision Has Negatively Impacted Access to OB/GYN Practitioners
By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter
FRIDAY, March 14, 2025 -- The Dobbs v Jackson Women's Health Organization (Dobbs) decision was associated with a moderate but significant relative reduction in obstetrics and gynecology (OB/GYN) practitioners in states that adopted restrictive abortion laws compared with states that enacted abortion laws before the decision, according to a study published online March 10 in JAMA Internal Medicine.
Jane M. Zhu, M.D., from the Oregon Health & Science University in Portland, and colleagues examined whether OB/GYN practitioner supply changed in states that adopted restrictive abortion laws after the Dobbs decision compared with control states (those that enacted abortion laws before the decision), focusing on 12 and 14 states, respectively. A difference-in-differences approach was used to compare changes in practitioner supply from December 2018 to December 2021 (pre-Dobbs decision) to December 2022 to July 2024 (post-Dobbs decision) in states with the most restrictive laws versus control states.
The researchers found that OB/GYN practitioner supply patterns were similar between the 12 most restrictive and 14 control states before the Dobbs decision. Across all states, practitioner supply increased overall, but after the ruling, significant decreases in OB/GYN practitioners were noted. The most restrictive states had a 4.2 percent decrease in practitioners per 100,000 reproductive-aged females compared with the control group, with findings robust to sensitivity analyses.
"Findings provide early confirmation of reports that clinicians have migrated from states most impacted by the Dobbs decision," the authors write. "Clinician migration has implications for reproductive care access, quality, and equity as abortion rights are increasingly decided at the state level."
Abstract/Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)
Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.
© 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Posted March 2025
Read this next
Weather Disasters Impacted Counties With More Than 60 Percent of Drug Production Facilities
FRIDAY, Aug. 22, 2025 -- More than 60 percent of drug production facilities were located in U.S. counties with at least one disaster declaration from 2019 to 2024, according to a...
Sensitive Personalities Tied to More Mental Health Conditions
FRIDAY, Aug. 22, 2025 -- People with sensitive personalities are more prone to common mental health problems such as agoraphobia and avoidant personality disorder, according to a...
Novel Biomarker Risk Prediction Models Examined in Chronic Kidney Disease
FRIDAY, Aug. 22, 2025 -- For adults with nondialysis chronic kidney disease (CKD), risk prediction models incorporating novel biomarkers show comparable discrimination to...
More news resources
- FDA Medwatch Drug Alerts
- Daily MedNews
- News for Health Professionals
- New Drug Approvals
- New Drug Applications
- Drug Shortages
- Clinical Trial Results
- Generic Drug Approvals
Subscribe to our newsletter
Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.