Doctor-prescribed abortion pills have declined in states where abortion remains legal? This was recently claimed by the pro-abortion Guttmacher Institute. If that’s true, it would be the first drop in abortions in a while, since abortion pills have caused numbers to rise nationwide. But before we celebrate, these claims need a closer look.
Abortion pills are typically used to kill preborn babies under 10 weeks old. At this stage, the child already has unique DNA, a heartbeat, brain waves, tiny hands and feet, and every major organ system in place. Not to mention, over 1 in 10 women who take abortion pills end up in the emergency room.
This reported decline applies only to abortions provided within states that do not fully protect preborn children, unlike Texas. This means Guttmacher’s numbers capture only a fraction of the actual abortion pill market.
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The data doesn’t include abortion pills sent into Pro-Life states from anti-Life states with shield laws, which block their state agencies from cooperating with investigations from Pro-Life states. For instance, if a California doctor prescribes and ships abortion pills to a woman in Texas, California law legally prohibits the state from assisting Texas authorities in enforcing our Pro-Life protections and exempts doctors from including their names on abortion drug labels, making it difficult to track where the drugs came from.
The numbers also do not include the growing quantity of pills distributed by illegal or unlicensed networks—actors who never report their activity and intentionally dodge oversight. Even if official prescription numbers have declined, the true scale of underground distribution is unknown and likely far higher than reported.
Thankfully, when the Woman and Child Protection Act (WCPA) takes effect on December 4, 2025, we expect a meaningful drop in abortion pill traffickers willing to target Texas. The policy directly confronts shield laws and equips Texans with powerful tools to shut down illegal pill operations, both the overt and the underground.
Guttmacher also claims that fewer women are traveling out of state for abortion, reporting an 8% decline in the first half of 2025 compared to the same period in 2024. They attribute this trend partly to the increased availability of mail-order abortion pills and partly to dwindling funds supporting abortion-travel networks.
This trend is consistent with data from the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHS). These numbers are incomplete because not all states report to the databases that HHS uses. Still, the data does indicate a measurable drop, which should be celebrated. According to these numbers, Texans traveling out of state for abortion decreased from 7,844 in 2023 to 7,010 in 2024, a 10% decline. It’s a small but meaningful victory.
Yet, these thousands of preborn Texas children being killed in blue states make one thing clear — federal action is essential. Abortion activists recognize this, too. Even the New York Times is now calling on Congress to pass federal laws legalizing abortion in Pro-Life states to overcome laws like the Woman and Child Protection Act.
Right now, we have the chance to shape history. Let’s remain steadfast until abortion becomes illegal and unthinkable. Add your voice to our call urging the Trump administration to enforce the Comstock Act and stop abortion pills from being dangerously sent in the mail across the country. You are crucial in the fight for Life!
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